To Survive
by Magical Narwhal
Summary: Harry is struck by a spell as he escapes during Voldemort's return. Unconscious upon his return to Hogwarts, none of the staff know what is wrong with him. Draco doesn't want to be a Death Eater, but he's too scared to stand up to his father. Once he finds out about what has been done to him in the past, he'll do anything to escape serving the Dark Lord.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer for All Chapters:

The characters, setting, and pretty much the entire world belong to J.K. Rowling and her affiliates. I gain no profit from this story, just enjoyment. Since I am fairly certain this plot idea is original, I am asking that anyone who hopes to use it or adapt it lets me know, if only so that I can read their story.

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Author's Note:

This should become fairly obvious once you start reading, but this isn't canon. Everything that occurs before the point where this story begins, as well as what happens in the longer time periods I will skip, however, is as it was written in the books.

This chapter is much shorter than the other chapters will be, as it sets up the story more than anything.

With that said, let the story begin!

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**To Survive**

Chapter 1

Harry turned and ran, grabbing Cedric's body on his way. A Death Eater's curse hit Harry as he closed his hand around the cup that would take him back to Hogwarts, breaking through the barrier that the forms of Voldemort's past victims had built around him. Harry struggled to breathe as pain enveloped him during the Portkey trip. Once he fell on hard ground, he stopped feeling the pain.

Harry Potter had passed out on the Quidditch Field, the Tournament Cup held in one hand and Cedric Diggory's corpse in the other, as soon as he had arrived.

Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey ran towards the unconscious boy, as did everyone else. Casting a Sonorus charm, Dumbledore addressed the advancing crowd. "We ask that everyone except the necessary staff members stay away from the Tournament competitors. Those who do not comply will be stunned without warning." The mob halted, creating an uproar as everyone tried to make sense of what had happened to Hogwarts' beloved champions, shouting to one another in desperation.

Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey knelt beside the two boys, running scans of their vitals. Dumbledore looked up, the Sonorus charm still active. "Could Cedric Diggory's family please join us?" Dumbledore cast Quietus as he turned his attention to the school's resident mediwitch. "Is Harry all right?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "No, we need to move Mr. Potter to the Infirmary as soon as possible. He's unconscious, and I don't know what happened to him. Hopefully it will be easier to identify it inside where I will have the proper equipment and potions, and there won't be all of these prying eyes. How is Mr. Diggory?"

Cedric's parents reached the two staff members kneeling on the field. "What happened to him?" "Is our boy going to be okay?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. I regret to inform you that your son is dead. We'll move him inside to an empty room to afford you some more privacy."

Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey stood up, levitating both of the boys into the building. The crowd parted to make way to the entrance for them, everyone leaning right and left to catch a glimpse of the fallen students.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Yes, I'm updating again after I just posted two days ago. Don't expect updates to come this quickly; I've just been on break for the past week, so I had most of this chapter written already and the rest just flowed out. As I'm going back to school tomorrow, I'll be busier, and my grades are important to me, but I figured I'd post it since it was ready. It's much longer than the first chapter (three times as long, in fact), so enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed. I'm glad there are people who want to read more of the story after such a short first chapter. Reviews would be wonderful so that I know what you all do and don't like about the story. Although I already have the basic idea for the way things will progress, and I have a few of the later chapters partly written, I'm welcome to all of your ideas. Writing is nothing without people to read it.

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Chapter 2

Inside the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey set Harry down on one of the beds and scrambled to her office. The Tournament spectators gathered around the Infirmary, all of them trying to get in. Madam Pomfrey left her office with vials of potions on a tray, glaring at the crowd. "The Headmaster's warning still stands if any of you are stupid enough to come in here without permission. Now I suggest that all of you find something else to do; there's nothing to see here." With sighs, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger outside the Infirmary doors. "Go back to Gryffindor, both of you. I'll call for you when there's any sign of him regaining consciousness. There's nothing either of you can do for him right now."

"Oh, but please, there must be something," called Hermione. "We can't just stand by knowing Harry's in trouble. What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know why Mr. Potter is unconscious right now, but you would do well to heed my advice, Ms. Granger. Go back to your dorm room. I'll call both of you if we can ever use your help, but for right now there is nothing you can do to help your friend besides leaving me alone to work."

Ron and Hermione turned around and walked away from the Infirmary after one last glance at their best friend. "The nerve of that woman, telling us to leave Harry alone when he's unconscious, and she doesn't even know what's wrong with him! We're his best friends. If anything's wrong with him, we're their best hope of figuring it out."

"Hermione, she has a point. They don't know what's wrong with him, and it we're standing about we'll probably just make things worse. She said she's come get us if something was wrong. Let's just go back to the tower and hope he's okay."

"Oh no, we aren't going back to the tower to just sit around."

"Then where do you think we should go?"

"The library, of course; we've got research to do." Ron shook his head and followed Hermione down the corridor.

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Madam Pomfrey turned to her newest charge and set the tray of potions on the table beside his bed. She pulled her wand out and cast a few more scans before Albus arrived.

"Well, have you had any luck?"

"No, I don't know what could be causing this type of reaction. His body is slowly shutting down and pain is registering everywhere, but there doesn't seem to be a source for either of those."

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "That is most peculiar. May I conduct some scans myself?"

"I don't see why not, sir, but after you've finished we need to decide on a course of action. This could very well be fatal for him if we don't stop the spreading soon enough."

"I agree completely, Poppy. Would you mind finding Severus in the mean time? We may need his expertise in potions."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and turned back around to her office. She grabbed a bit of floo powder and knelt before her fireplace. Throwing the powder, she shouted "Severus Snape's quarters" and stuck her head in the fireplace. Seeing Severus at his desk in a corner, she shouted. "Severus!"

He made a mark on a paper with his quill, lifted his head, and turned to the fireplace. "What is it, Poppy? I have papers that need marking."

"Dumbledore and I need your presence in the Infirmary. Harry Potter is unconscious, and I'm not sure why. We'd like to borrow your knowledge of potions."

Severus sighed and stood up. "Fine, I'll come through in a few moments."

"Thank you, Severus. I know Harry isn't your favorite person in the world." Madam Pomfrey pulled her head out of the fireplace and stood up, pleased that Severus had taken her request so well. She returned to her patient, noticing Dumbledore's confused expression as he sat in a chair. "Well, did you have any luck diagnosing his problem?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I haven't seen something like this before. Did you find Severus?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "He should be coming through the floo right now."

Snape entered the room, taking a glance at the unconscious boy. "What's wrong with him?"

"We don't know. We were hoping you could help us figure it out."

"Well, what do you have to tell me?"

"Harry's body is slowly shutting itself down, and we can't pinpoint a source for it. His pain levels are also high, but there doesn't seem to be a source for that either. Do you know of anything that could cause this?"

Severus thought for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "I can think of one possible cause, but the cure could be fatal if I'm incorrect. Poppy, could you get a vial of Protectoseum and a vial of Pain Relieving Potion?" Madam Pomfrey headed towards her Storage Room. "Do you happen to know the fastest way to contact Charlie Weasley?"

"Either a letter or a Portkey; a letter takes a day's trip to arrive in Romania, and I'd have to make the Portkey. What does Arthur Weasley's son have to do with Harry's predicament?"

"If I'm right, we may need fresh Dragon blood to cure Harry. The preserved blood I have here won't work correctly. I'd assume Mr. Weasley is the quickest way that we can get it."

"What do you think is wrong with him that could possibly require fresh Dragon blood?" Madam Pomfrey returned from the Storage Room.

"I'm afraid he may have been affected by Stupesquamis Incursio."

"Severus, you know as well as I do that Stupesquamis Incursio is a spell meant to stun dragons, and it's not meant for use on humans. There was nothing in the Tournament Maze that could have warranted the use of that spell."

Severus took the vials from Madam Pomfrey. "I know that, but we don't have anything else to go on unless you can come up with a better explanation for Mr. Potter's current state."

"Even if it was Stupesquamis Incursio, there's no cure if that spell is used on a human. How will Dragon blood help?"

"We'll have to introduce Dragon genes into his system."

"That's illegal, Severus. I won't allow you to use illegal practices on my patient."

"Calm down, Poppy. I believe the law states that it's perfectly legal if it's used to save a life. Are you sure you'll be able to make the potion correctly if that's what's wrong with him?"

"I'm certain of it, Albus."

"Alright, but we're not trying anything until we're certain of what happened to Harry. How do you plan to find that out?"

"Well, if we Ennervate him and get him to drink this potion, he should be responsive long enough either for him to tell us what happened or for me to look into his mind and see what happened. If you could, would you please start making the Portkeys so we can make a quick visit to Romania if I'm correct?"

"I will, but if you have to use Legilimency, I'd like to view your memories of it while you're making the potion."

Severus nodded his head, and Dumbledore left the Infirmary. "How would you like to do this, Poppy? Mr. Potter is your patient after all."

Madam Pomfrey smiled, glad to have her authority recognized in her domain. "I'll Ennervate him, give him the potion, and explain to him what we need of him. You can sit in that chair, and if we need to view his memories you can do that as well."

Harry slowly opened his eyes, grimacing and moaning. Madam Pomfrey took the Pain Relieving Potion from Severus and took out the stopper. "Drink this; it'll make the pain go away." Harry tilted his head up and opened his mouth as Madam Pomfrey poured the potion in. While he swallowed, she set the empty vial on the table and grabbed the next potion from Severus. "This will protect your organs and anything else necessary to keep you alive. While you drink it, I'm going to explain to you what we need you to do." She uncorked the vial. "We aren't sure what's wrong with you, but we have one idea. We need you to tell us what happened to you, or if you can't speak, Professor Snape will view your memories of it as he is the best Legilimens we have." She poured the potion in his mouth. "If you bring those memories to the front of your mind we shouldn't have any problems since that's all he'll be looking for." Harry swallowed. "Can you speak long enough to tell us what happened?"

"Y-ye-*cough*" Harry shook his head.

Severus stood up and sat on the bed, looking at Harry's face. "Pull the memories of what happened to the front of your mind. It will take less time, and you won't have to worry about me seeing anything that you wish to keep private." Harry nodded once and met his professor's eyes. "Legilimens."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

I'm extremely sorry about how long it's taken for me to write this chapter and get it posted. A few days after I posted the last chapter, one of my family members died, so that involved a rather long trip to his funeral and back. At the same time, all of my teachers decided I need to be bogged down with homework, so the past few weeks I either haven't had time to write because school comes first, or I fell back into a depressed state of grief which is a mood I never seem to write well in. In short, please forgive me for situations beyond my control.

This is a shorter chapter than I wanted it to be, but it could be broken into two where this chapter ends now, so I figured you all would like an update. I'm not taking anything out of the story, just splitting this chapter into two parts so you all get a quicker update. The other part will be its own chapter.

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Chapter 3

Professor Snape pulled out of Harry's mind, afraid that his worst fears were indeed coming true. Hours before, his Dark Mark had burned, but he couldn't answer what he assumed was a call from the Dark Lord until his cover wouldn't be blown. He had gone back to his quarters after the Triwizard Tournament had ended since it had stopped burning and he had essays to grade. He hadn't thought that Dumbledore and Pomfrey would need his help with their patients. In fact, he was hoping to relax by the fireplace with a glass of wine.

The Dark Lord had indeed returned, killing Mr. Diggory along the way. Of course he had been speaking for too long to actually kill Harry. That would be his downfall one day, talking long enough for Harry to develop a well thought-out plan and kill him before anyone could try to stop him.

The much more pressing matter, however, was that Severus had correctly figured out what was wrong with the boy. Lucius must have cast the spell since only he, the Dark Lord, and himself knew that Stupesquamis Incursio could be used with the same eventual effects as the Avada Kedavra and had the reasons to actually put the spell to use. Of course Lucius would use it rather than attempt an Avada Kedavra. If a Ministry official ever had need to check his wand, he wouldn't want the evidence of a kill attached to his wand, and in turn, him.

Severus shook his head and stalked to the fireplace in Madam Pomfrey's office. Grabbing a pinch of the floo powder and tossing it into the fire, Severus said "The Headmaster's Office" and stuck his head through. Dumbledore was standing with an empty box of lemon drops in his hand, and he turned around once he saw the visitor in the fireplace. "Well, Severus, what did you find out?"

"I found many things, but you'll see the boy's memories while I'm brewing the potion. I was correct in my assumption, and the only way to save him is to introduce Dragon genes into his system. Do you have the Portkey to Romania ready yet?"

"Yes, Severus, I'll be leaving right now. I expect you to begin making the potion to save us time. I'll bring the Dragon blood to you when I return. Please check in with Pomfrey first, as I'm certain you failed to inform her of the situation."

"As you wish, Sir," Severus pulled his head out of the fireplace and walked to the mediwitch. "It seems I was correct, Poppy. Dumbledore is leaving right now for Romania by Portkey. Please keep me updated with how much time we should have left before we'll be too late. The potion will take about two and a half hours to brew. I'm not sure if you can put Mr. Potter into stasis, but I would recommend it if at all possible."

"Get everything done as quickly as possible. I can't put him in stasis when he's in such an unstable condition. We only have a few hours at the most, but I'll give him a vial of Dreamless Sleep to buy us any time we can get."

Severus nodded. "I'll brew the potion as quickly as I possibly can, but it takes time to simmer and gather its magical potential. Hopefully Charlie Weasley can get us what we need to save him by the time I need to add it to the potion." Severus left through Madam Pomfrey's floo system for his own quarters. He headed to his lab, knowing that he could find the exact potion in one of his personal journals.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

Hopefully I'll be able to post on a much more regular schedule now. This is a bit of a longer chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'd also like to send a special shout out to Albionia for writing the first review on this story! It took 3 chapters, but I'm glad to know what someone thinks of this story. Once again, thank you to all of the other people who read, favorited, and followed.

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Chapter 4

Dumbledore activated the Portkey he had made with an empty lemon drop tin and landed in the Dragon Sanctuary in Romania. Dumbledore looked around until he spotted a man in dragon skin armor standing by a building. Heading towards him, Dumbledore shouted, "Good day, may I inquire as to whether Charlie Weasley is around?"

The man turned towards the headmaster of Hogwarts and nodded in acknowledgment. "Yer lookin' fer Charlie, are ya?"

Dumbledore nodded. "That's right. Do you happen to know where I might find him?"

"Well, you've come at the right time. He's just inside there. He finished trainin' the old Longtail fer today a few minutes ago." The man waved his arm towards the door. "Foller me now and I'll take ya to him. Name's Toby, by the way, and you are?"

"Albus Dumbledore, thank you."

Dumbledore was led into a room with a few tables scattered around, as well as a few doors that he assumed led to a kitchen, a bathroom, and the rooms where the dragon trainers resided. A few people were eating meals at one table, talking and laughing easily. Another group of keepers was sitting at a different table, playing Exploding Snap. A man with longer red hair was walking through a door into the room, carrying a plate and a glass of pumpkin juice. The man looked to the entrance and smiled. "Dumbledore, what brings you here? You don't need any more dragons for an activity at the school, do you?"

Dumbledore sadly shook his head. "No, I came to talk to you, actually. Can we go somewhere to speak with one another a bit more privately?"

Charlie thought for a moment and slowly nodded. "Yes, follow me. Thank you for showing him in here, Toby."

"Yes, thank you, Tobias."

"It's my pleasure ter see such an important member of the wizardin' world seen to properly."

Charlie motioned his hand from Dumbledore to one of the doors. He walked over to it, Dumbledore following him, and he opened the door for the headmaster to step into a hallway. "We aren't supposed to eat in our quarters, but I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, and I think they'll make an exception if I'm meeting with the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards." Charlie opened another door, and Dumbledore was led into a room with a mahogany desk and chair, a bookcase that had every crevice filled, a fireplace along one wall, and a bed that had red covers with gold accents. "This is my room; nobody should bother us in here." Charlie set the food and his glass on the desk and pulled out his wand, putting up silencing charms. "What did you want to speak with me about?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Well, you might as well begin eating your meal. I came to ask a favor of you, one that I hope to have accomplished as soon as possible."

Charlie sat in the mahogany chair, moving it so he could face his former headmaster who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. "As I'm sure you know, seeing as how much your mother cares for Harry as if he was her adopted son, the last event of the Triwizard Tournament was this afternoon, and young Harry competed as he was required."

"Yes, but what could this have to do with me?"

Dumbledore smiled thoughtfully. "If I were in your position I would be asking the same question. Under normal circumstances, this would have nothing to do with you since you're in a Dragon sanctuary thousands of kilometers away in Romania. However, for the last event there was a maze. We couldn't see the competitors, so they were instructed to send up sparks with their wands if they ever found themselves in a time of trouble. This means, however, that if something unfortunate happened and the contestant was unable to defend themselves, we would have no way of knowing if something was wrong until after the event was over."

"If something happened to Harry, I fail to see why you've decided to come here to ask for help. My mother would be more than willing to care for him, and between Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape, they should be able to patch him up just as well as anyone else."

"You see, they can't, not without your help. Harry showed up on the Quidditch field with the Tournament Cup in one hand, and the corpse of Cedric Diggory was grabbed with the other. Unconscious, we only just woke him up, forcibly at that, and Professor Snape has come to the conclusion that Stupesquamis Incursio was cast on him at some point during the contest."

The second eldest Weasley son spat his pumpkin juice out of his mouth involuntarily. "Are you entirely sure that the spell used was Stupesquamis Incursio?"

Dumbledore calmly nodded. "We are of the utmost certainty."

Charlie stood up and began pacing the room. "That's just not possible, Albus. Harry is a boy, not a Dragon. His body will not be able to cope with the force of the spell that they used on him for whatever it is they were doing. Harry will die; that spell was meant for use to Stun Dragons."

"We know that, Charlie. That is why I have come to you for aid in this time of need."

Charlie turned towards Dumbledore. "What could you possibly need from me? I can't help at all. That curse is lethal to mere wizards. I may be a Dragon keeper, but I can't save him from a fatal spell."

"Oh, but you can, Mr. Weasley. Professor Snape has a plan. There's a reason we've come to you for help; you're the only person we know of who can get us a potion ingredient in such a short amount of time. Madam Pomfrey says we only have but a few hours to save the savior of the wizarding world. We need fresh Dragon blood."

Charlie sighed and sat down in his chair. "Are you certain that he can be saved?"

"I know that many of the students are not fond of Severus; I'm not blind, but I have faith in my school's potions master. If he says that he can save Harry, I expect him to do everything in his power to save him. I've heard his plans, and I believe that they will work, but we need fresh Dragon blood to give to Harry in a potion. Do you think you can get it for us?"

"I'll do my best to get it for you, but you'll have to stay here. The Dragons aren't very fond of strangers, and I'll need their complete trust and attention to get some of their blood for you. What exactly is Professor Snape going to attempt?"

"We're going to try to introduce the Dragon blood into his blood and merge the genes of the two creatures. Hopefully the strength of the Dragon will keep Harry with us."

Charlie thought for a moment. "That could work. I'd have to come back with you, though. Once the Dragon blood is introduced, the spell will act as it was originally meant to and stun Harry. You'll have to have someone trained in these spells to lift it."

Dumbledore nodded. "You can Portkey back with me."

"Right, I'll go get the blood. You can call someone at Hogwarts with the Floo if you'd like."

"You never told me that you had a Floo system out here."

Charlie laughed a hearty chuckle. "It's a one-way system. I can contact other people with it, but other people can't contact me through it. The security of the Dragons here is upheld if we do that. Only people powerful enough to make Portkeys or the people who work here can get in." He stood up and opened one of the desk's drawers, pulling out a pot. He handed it to Dumbledore. "There's the Floo powder. I'll be back as soon as I can." He stood up and left the room, taking his now empty plate and glass with him.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

As of today, this story has reached 1,000 views! Give yourself a miniature celebration if you've been hanging on with me this far. Thank you to all of those who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. It means the world to me to know what people think of it. I responded to all of your reviews, and I apologize if I ever responded more than once. My internet was being a bother and when I finally got back on ffn a week after I posted the last chapter, I'd sort of forgotten who I had replied to and who I hadn't...

Anyway, here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

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Chapter 5

Severus Snape was in his element. There was only him, his potions lab, a cauldron, his personal potion journal, and the ingredients he needed. There weren't any students constantly talking around him, and he didn't have to worry about anyone blowing up their cauldron. He was alone, and he knew what he was doing.

Severus left his cauldron sitting while he walked to his bedroom. The water was on its way to boiling, and he had time to do something else while he waited. Knowing full well that Dumbledore would return with the Dragon blood at the most inopportune time for him, Severus pulled his pensieve off of a shelf and carried it with him to his lab. Setting the pensieve on top of a counter, Severus raised his wand to his temple, thinking about the memories Mr. Potter had just shown to him. Dumbledore wouldn't be pleased to find out the Dark Lord had returned. The Order had hoped he would remain in his half-human state for at least another year or two since one of his horcruxes had been destroyed. Severus set the tip of his wand to the swirling liquid of the pensieve and deposited the memories inside. When Dumbledore returned, he could leave the Dragon blood in the lab and disappear in Mr. Potter's memories while Severus worked. For the most part, the potion didn't require a lot of work. The majority of the brewing time was spent waiting for the potion to become a certain color or simmer until it reached a certain temperature. When the brewer wasn't waiting, however, all of the instructions were fast paced and had to be followed exactly, lest unpleasant consequences occur. The severity of the ingredients used when not combined correctly would either poison the surrounding air along with the potion or create an explosion that would extend far past Hogwarts' borders. Severus was confident in his abilities to brew the potion, though, seeing as this wasn't the first time he'd brewed it. He had created the potion after all.

Severus heard a whoosh of flames before a voice that resembled the headmaster's started calling, "Severus! Severus! Are you in your lab?" Funny, he couldn't remember the sound of any doors opening or closing, and he'd become very attuned to even the quietest sounds over the years. He could hear anything.

"Yes, I'm in my lab, Albus. You know what is at stake if this potion isn't brewed correctly. Do you have the Dragon blood with you? If you do, that was a much quicker trip to Romania than I expected."

"No, I'm firecalling you. Mr. Weasley just left to acquire some Dragon blood for us. He'll be returning with me, if you don't mind. He said Harry would still be stunned like a Dragon after you give him the potion, and it would be best if someone trained in the use of the spell were to lift it from the boy."

"Yes, Albus, that would make sense. At least one of the Weasley children can have a coherent thought. Can I expect you to return soon?"

"That you can. Have you set up the pensieve yet? I would very much like to see how Mr. Potter ended up in such a precarious situation."

"It's beside me right now, memories deposited and ready to go. I don't think you'll like what you'll see."

"Is it really that bad?"

"I'm afraid so. Once you and Charlie arrive, I'd appreciate it if you could take him with you when you view these memories. I need as much concentration as possible to brew this potion."

"If that will help you, then I'll certainly take him with me. If it's as bad as it sounds, he'll probably want to view these memories firsthand as well."

"Yes, well, if I'm busy when you arrive, do not disturb me under any circumstances." The water in the cauldron began boiling. "I must go now."

"As you wish, Severus." He heard the flames in the fireplace extinguish as the headmaster had hopefully returned his head to Romania.

The next sixty minutes for Severus Snape were filled with preparing ingredients, stirring, adjusting temperatures, waiting for color changes, and checking his potions journal. Awaiting a change in color from turquoise to clear, he turned his head when he heard footsteps in his commons room. Picking up his wand and turning towards the door, Severus asked, "Who's in there?"

"Not to worry, my boy. We've arrived with the Dragon blood for the potion." Albus Dumbledore and Charlie Weasley entered Severus' potions lab, a large vial in the redhead's hand. "It took a bit longer than expected to get the blood, and then Mr. Weasley here wasn't sure how much we needed. I wasn't sure myself, but not to worry; I'm sure we brought back more than enough."

Severus took the vial and set it on the counter. "This will hopefully be enough. Mr. Potter is such a strong wizard that I'm not sure how much it will take. Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

Charlie shook his head. "Call me Charlie; after all, I'm not your student anymore."

"Thank you, Charlie."

"It wasn't a big deal. I was just trying to find a Dragon that was compatible with Harry's magical capabilities so it would take hold easier. That's the blood of a Hungarian Horntail you've got sitting on your counter, Severus. I'd take good care of it."

Severus' jaw dropped. "Are you serious right now? Do you know how rare the blood of a Hungarian Horntail is?"

Charlie smiled and nodded. "That's where I ran into my problem. The Keeper in charge of our Hungarian Horntail right now was dead set against letting me take any of its blood. That Dragon doesn't take too kindly to that, you know. Once I explained that it was to save Harry Potter, his attitude changed a bit. As it stands now, I've got both his cleaning duties and mine for the next month, but I'd do anything to save Harry. Mum would kill me if I didn't."

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus noticed that the potion was becoming clear. He turned to it and began chopping Gillyweed that had been soaked in Honeywater. "Please view the memories in the pensieve now. I'll be working constantly for quite a while now."

"As you wish, Severus. Please join me to give him some space, Mr. Weasley." The headmaster and the redhead touched their fingers to the liquid in the pensieve and were no longer in the room.

Half an hour later, Albus and Charlie landed in Severus' potions lab, eyes wide open and mouths gaping in shock. Severus was stirring the potion. "Don't even think of saying anything until I permit it. The potion is in one of its most critical stages and I wouldn't recommend making me lose my concentration unless you wish to die either by an explosion or by poisoned air. I already know what you saw, and I'm sure you can keep quiet and attempt to process it for the next fifteen minutes. Then you might be able to think rationally instead of jumping to action and conclusions as Gryffindors like Mr. Weasley here are prone to do. Actually, Albus, I've been thinking about this potion and Mr. Potter. You may want to find a room for Mr. Weasley here to stay in for the next few nights. The introduction will have to be gradual with blood from such a strong Dragon species. If we were to give him the entire amount needed to mix into his bloodstream at once it would overpower him. We'll have to take this step by step in order for it to break the fatality of the spell."

Dumbledore nodded and led Charlie from the room. Severus heard the door to the dungeons open and close, and then all was quiet in his lab but the sound of the fire crackling under his cauldron and his ladle causing the potion to splash against the sides of the cauldron.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

Thanks to everyone who's reading this. Thank you for all of the views, favorites, follows, and reviews. I apologize for how long this has taken for me to get out to all of you, but I've been studying and taking exams for the entire month. It's such a pivotal chapter that I wanted to make sure I had enough time to get it right, and this is currently the longest chapter of this story so I hope that can somewhat make it up to you all for waiting. No, this story is not over yet. It's only coming to the close of a part of the larger story. That being said, let's see if Snape has finished that potion, shall we?

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Chapter 6

Severus extinguished the flames under his cauldron and grabbed a box of vials from a closet in his potions lab. He carefully ladled the potion into the vials and put stoppers into each of them, breathing a sigh of relief once he finished.

Albus and Charlie had returned about five minutes ago, and they had patiently waited in his commons room. Severus picked up the box of vials and left his lab. Albus was sitting in an armchair, and Charlie was sitting on the edge of the sofa nearest to him. They both seemed to be deep in thought, but they looked up grimly when Severus entered the room. "Let's take these up to Poppy and give the first one to Mr. Potter. We can talk about what happened to him afterwards." Both of the men stood up and walked to the fireplace. "Did you find a suitable room for Mr. Weasley, Albus?"

"Yes, it's behind the portrait of Gregory McGowen. I figured it was close enough to the Infirmary for him to be called at a moment's notice if he's needed."

"Profes-, I mean Severus, do you know exactly what's going to happen to Harry once you give him the potion?"

"Not exactly, Charlie. I do have a few ideas, though. Mr. Potter could become unconscious again while his body tries to adapt to the blood, or he could become stunned as a Dragon would be if it were affected by the spell, or he could be just fine and his body would begin to reverse the effects. Regardless, Mr. Potter should survive the effects of the potion no matter what happens."

"You don't have any guarantees, though?"

"No, Albus, but this should save him. Unless you have a better plan, we'll have to stick to this one."

Dumbledore sighed. "Alright then. I trust you know what you're doing better than other people. Tell me, how did you come across this potion? I've never heard of it."

"Ah, have I told you how I came to be so high up in the ranks of the Dark Lord?"

"No, you haven't mentioned it."

"He needed someone who was proficiently skilled in the art of creating potions. He wanted to try some experimentation on some of his Death Eaters to see if they would gain any special powers that would help him further his cause."

"Did it work? Does he have weapons we could never imagine?"

"The weaker among the ranks died. We were going to try those who were more powerful, but Mr. Potter caused his demise before then. Most fled afterwards."

"Of course, now that he's returned, will he try that again?"

"I'm not sure. I have been here since he returned. I have yet to meet with him since it was not safe to do so when he called."

"I expect you to meet with him once we've given the first vial to Mr. Potter. We can't have Voldemort upset with you, can we?"

Charlie looked at the both of the men, his former mentors. "Is there something I should know?"

Albus laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Ah, yes, you'll have to tell your parents that we are reforming the Order of the Phoenix. You're welcome to join if you like. Severus here is a spy, and as such, he listens in on Voldemort's meetings and is occasionally required to perform tasks as a Death Eater, but he reports back everything he knows to the Order so we can save innocent lives." Taking Albus' lead, each of the three men grabbed a pinch of floo powder and made their ways to the Infirmary.

Madam Pomfrey stood up from her desk. "Is it done? Can we give it to him?"

"Yes, Poppy. How is Mr. Potter holding up?"

"He's sleeping right now since I gave him a Dreamless Sleep potion. What are we going to do once I wake him up?"

Severus set the box down on Madam Pomfrey's desk. "We'll give him one of these vials and see what happens. I'm not entirely sure what will happen."

"We're going to give my patient a potion when we don't know what the effects will be? No, absolutely not, Professor Snape, I simply won't allow it."

"Poppy, you know how powerful Harry is. Charlie here got Severus blood from a Hungarian Horntail. He doesn't know how the two will interact with one other. Besides, the boy is going to die if we don't try something. As Headmaster, I demand that you let them give Harry this potion. We don't exactly have any other choices."

"Alright, Albus, I'll wake him up, but I refuse to be held responsible if anything goes wrong."

"I understand. Thank you, Poppy."

Madam Pomfrey left her office and entered the Infirmary. Albus, Charlie, and Severus followed with one of the potion vials. McGonagall entered the Infirmary, looking around. "Albus! I heard Harry was in the Infirmary. What's wrong with him?"

"His body is attacking itself. Severus made a potion that should help Harry, and we're about to give it to him once Poppy wakes him up."

"Can I speak to you privately for a moment, Albus?"

"Yes, I suppose." Dumbledore and McGonagall entered Madam Pomfrey's office and locked the door, casting silencing charms at the same time. "What is so important that we have to discuss it now?"

"I'm only concerned about one of my Gryffindors. Are you sure you want to leave his fate in the hands of Severus? He doesn't like the boy, and for all we know he could be poisoning him to get rid of him."

"Minerva, I know that you don't believe that he's been good in the past, and you probably think that he belongs in Azkaban with some of the other former followers of Voldemort, but I know that he has been on our side. I trust him, and Harry's situation is already fatal. Severus can't cause any more harm to the boy than that."

"What do you mean? Exactly what happened to put Harry in this position, Albus? I want the entire story."

"I'll let you know the entire story after we find out if Severus' potion will work. We'll need to reform the Order, by the way. As far as Harry's current situation is concerned, he was hit by Stupesquamis Incursio. Obviously he isn't a Dragon, so his body is having trouble coping with the spell. Severus explained to me what the potion will do, and I think that it will work. I have the utmost confidence in his skills as a Potions Master."

"And what exactly will this potion do?"

"I'd prefer it if we could keep this from Harry for a while. Do you understand?" McGonagall nodded. "We're combining his blood with the blood of Dragons, a Hungarian Horntail actually. It should fight off the effects of the spell so that Harry can live. I don't want Harry to know just yet because he has so many other problems to deal with. It shouldn't affect him. I plan to tell him after the war is over for good."

"Are you still on about that? Harry defeated Voldemort thirteen years ago. I don't understand what makes you think he'll return."

"I'll explain later, Minerva. You won't tell the boy just yet, will you?"

"No, Albus, not if you don't want me to tell him."

"Thank you."

Albus and Minerva left Madam Pomfrey's office and entered the Infirmary once more. Harry was awake, Poppy running scans over him. There was a slight grimace on the boy's face as Severus and Charlie watched beside the bed. Madam Pomfrey stopped conducting scans for a moment, but her wand remained in her hand. "Alright, Mr. Potter, you need to take the potion that Professor Snape is holding. We all know you can't talk, so there's no point in arguing."

Severus took the stopper out of the potion and poured it in Harry's mouth. Harry swallowed and instantly closed his eyes, falling back onto the bed. Poppy began performing scans once more, everyone holding their breath for the verdict. "Albus, would you return to my office and get the rest of those vials? Harry's magic is so strong that it will take a lot more of that potion to make a connection with his bloodstream that will be able to take the full effect of the Stupesquamis Incursio spell. He's unconscious right now because the amount of power within him is a bit too much, but the two are beginning to mix and make it a bit easier for him. He should wake up in a minute or two."

Albus nodded and retrieved the box of potion vials from Madam Pomfrey's office. Severus took his wand out and began to perform scans of his own on Harry. "That's a bit peculiar, isn't it? The spell is attacking all of Mr. Potter's blood instead of just the Dragon's blood. I believe we'll have to Stupefy him and lift both of the curses at the same time to pull him out of it."

Madam Pomfrey nodded her agreement. "You're right, of course. Albus, set them on the bedside table. We'll give him some more of the potion once he comes to again."

This process lasted for the next two hours as Harry came to, drank another vial of the potion, and fell unconscious once more. After those two hours, half of the potion vials were empty, and Harry was alert laying in bed, his eyes wide open and staring unblinkingly at the people around him. Albus had cast Stupefy on Harry, and Albus and Charlie were standing before Harry with their wands out, ready to relieve Harry of the curse.

"Ennervate" and "Ennervium Stupemagna Creatura" were said in unison, light from Albus' and Charlie's wands enwrapping Harry as he was slowly able to move, the two lights twisting around one another and mixing.

Harry blinked and gave a sigh of relief as the lights disappeared, and he was able to move again. "Will I be okay?"

McGonagall smiled. "Yes, Harry, you'll be fine."

"However, you will have to take a vial of that potion four times a day until all of it is gone. Do you understand?" Harry turned to Madam Pomfrey and nodded. "Albus, would it be possible to have Harry stay with the Weasleys until he's done taking these potions? Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley were quite concerned about Mr. Potter's health earlier when I kicked them out of here."

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "I'll see if that is possible. Otherwise he will stay here until he can return to his relatives. Minerva, please get Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to keep Harry company. We must have a staff meeting in my office. There is much for us to discuss."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Thanks for all of the favorites, follows, and reviews. I think it's really interesting to see what you all think this story is going to include. Some of you have some ideas that are pretty close, actually. I might have to do something special for those people. (Perhaps they should get to see that chapter a day before everyone else?) Anyway, I'm also extremely happy to say that this story now has over 2,000 views, and it seems to have people reading it all the way through so I'm glad you all find it as interesting as I do. In fact, because I'm so happy about all of this (the reviews and the views I've been getting), I've decided to thank you all by posting a new update early. Enjoy!

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Chapter 7

Professor McGonagall entered the Infirmary, two anxious Gryffindors behind her. "Madam Pomfrey, are you ready to go?"

Hermione and Ron rushed over to Harry's bed, firing off questions at him. "Give me one moment, Minerva. Children!" Three heads looked over to Hogwarts' resident mediwitch. "Stay calm. Mr. Potter will need his rest soon, and if he exerts too much energy he may have a relapse. Do you understand?" The same three heads nodded. "Now, Professor McGonagall and I are going to a meeting in the Headmaster's office. None of you are to leave until one of us returns. If a student comes in I'm assuming at least one of you can floo from my office to the Headmaster's for me, correct?" Ron nodded. "Behave yourselves. If my Infirmary is in any condition less than perfect when I return there will be consequences. Good evening."

Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall left the Infirmary, and the three Gryffindors resumed their talking. "Oh, we tried to come in to see you when you were unconscious, Harry, but she wouldn't let us in. She told us to go back to Gryffindor and wait. Well, of course we couldn't wait, so we went to the library. We've been in there ever since, at least until McGonagall came to get us."

"She even made us miss dinner."

"I'm sorry, Ron. Dobby!"

Dobby the house elf appeared in the Infirmary beside Harry's bed. "Master Harry Potter is well! Dobby was so afraid for Harry Potter. What can Dobby do?"

"Could you bring us some food? We all missed dinner."

"Anything for Harry Potter, sir!"

"Wait, Harry, are you allowed to eat yet?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I don't know. She never told me if I could eat. Err, Dobby, could you just bring food for Ron and Hermione then?"

"Dobby will do whatever Harry Potter asks of him." Dobby disappeared with a Pop! and the Gryffindors were alone once more.

"You might be able to eat. What potions does she have you taking?"

"I'm not sure what it is, but I'm taking the potions that are sitting on the table right there. I'm supposed to take them four times a day. Oi, Ron, I might be able to spend the beginning of the summer at the Burrow, at least until I'm done taking these potions."

"That's wonderful, mate. Hermione, maybe you could stay with us for the beginning of the summer, too. How does that sound?"

"I'll have to think about it later, Ron. There are more important things to focus on. Harry, why are you taking potions when you don't know what they are?"

"The only thing I'm concerned about is that they work. Earlier I was in pain, and I couldn't move. I feel great now. They're working. I can feel myself getting stronger. At the beginning whatever happened to me was bad enough that they had to give me a potion to protect my organs. If this is working, I'll keep taking it as long as I have to."

Dobby appeared with a Pop! "Dobby is bringing food for Master Harry Potter and his friends. Dobby saw the Madam Pom-fer-ey and Mister Snape and was told to be bringing Master Harry Potter some soup." Dobby set a large tray on Harry's bed. "Can Dobby be bringing anything else for Harry Potter and his friends?"

"No, Dobby, that's all. Thank you."

"Dobby is happy to help Master Harry." With a Pop! Dobby was gone again.

Hermione pulled the top off of a bowl and smelled the soup inside. "It's just chicken broth, so it should be safe. If Madam Pomfrey is okay with it, you should be fine if you drink it. Ron, you can have the plate of chicken." Hermione gave the bowl of broth to Harry and picked up a sandwich for herself.

"Mate, what happened to end you up in here in the first place?"

Harry stared into his bowl for a moment, reliving Voldemort's return in the graveyard. "Cedric. He's dead."

"Yes, Harry, you came back holding him. He was already dead when you arrived."

"He was murdered."

"By who? You didn't do it, did you?"

"No, it was Pettigrew. Voldemort ordered him to kill Cedric."

"That's impossible, Harry. Voldemort is dead. You defeated him when you were a baby, and then you defeated him again in first year. Nobody could have survived that."

"He's back. The Tournament Cup was a Portkey. Cedric and I had agreed to take it at the same time, together. We ended up in a graveyard, and Pettigrew Avada'ed him. Then he, he tied me up, to a gravestone, and he cut me to take my blood and bring Voldemort back. Voldemort was a miserable sight; he was so proud of what he'd become, and then he started calling his Death Eaters to him. Almost all of them were there. They're still loyal to him. Voldemort, he, he tried to kill me, too. Something funny happened with our wands, though, and they came back, all the people his wand had killed. Cedric, my parents, all of them came back, and I managed to escape by grabbing the Portkey again. I'd promised Cedric I would bring him back. A, a spell, I don't know what it was, but it hit me as I was leaving. It was painful, so painful. That's all I remember until Madam Pomfrey woke me up here."

Hermione and Ron were both pale, neither of them eating. They were just staring at each other, then they would stare at Harry, and then they would stare at random objects. Nobody knew what to say.

"Oh, Harry!" Soon all three of the Gryffindors were hugging, unable to imagine losing any member of the Golden Trio. "We have to tell Dumbledore."

Ron stood up and ran to Madam Pomfrey's office, intent on using the floo to reach Dumbledore. "Hermione, it was awful."

"I'm sure it was, Harry. You don't know what spell you were hit with?"

"No, they weren't sure either until Professor Snape looked at my memories. It was a horrible feeling, like he was inside my head."

"Did he use Legilimens?" Harry nodded. "He was inside your head, Harry. I can't believe you let him do that."

"I didn't have much of a choice, 'Mione. They didn't know what was wrong with me, and I couldn't talk. He had to do that if I was going to live. You know how Madam Pomfrey is when she tells you that you have to do something."

Ron raced back into the Infirmary. "Dumbledore already knows. Snape let him see the memories while he was brewing the potion. They know everything. Charlie is here, too. He said he's already talked to Mum; you're coming home with us for the first few weeks of summer holiday. You'll have to go back to your relatives for a while, but you'll be able to stay with us the last week so you can get your books for school next year. Hermione, we'll see you then, won't we?"

"Yes, I suppose so, Ron. It's not a trip to Diagon Alley if you all aren't there. You said Snape brewed the potion for Harry?"

"That's what Dumbledore said, but Madam Pomfrey has run enough scans to know if something was really wrong with Harry because of it. She said he'll be fine as long as he continues taking whatever this potion is four times a day."

"Did they say what was wrong with me?"

Ron shook his head. "No, but I doubt they would tell me anyway. You'll probably have to ask Pomfrey yourself if you want to know."

"Did they tell you what the potion was?"

"No, they didn't tell me that either. I was a bit too concerned about You-Know-Who's return. Besides, Harry seems perfectly fine. I'm sure he'll survive. He's conquered worse, you know."

"I suppose you're right, Ronald, but I know what I'll be doing this summer with my free time. I just have to find out what's wrong with you, Harry."

"Thanks, 'Mione."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note:

If any of you have read the summary, you'll know that this story will be written not only about Harry, but also about Draco. I realize Draco hasn't appeared yet, but that's all about to change, at least for a small portion of this chapter. I'm sorry this chapter's a tad short; I had a bit of writer's block. I'm also sorry that it's taken so long for me to post it; I finished writing it this past weekend, but my internet was down until last night.

In other news, this story now has over 10,000 words!

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Chapter 8

*September 1, 1995*

Draco Malfoy said goodbye to his parents and walked down Platform 9 ¾ towards Pansy Parkinson. He passed Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the Weasley clan. They were all being obnoxiously emotional, as they usually were. Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco as he walked by the train, failing to make any intelligent conversation, which was also usual. Pansy smiled as she watched him approach her, and he ordered Crabbe and Goyle to take his belongings with him onto the train.

"Draco! I've missed you so much!" Pansy hugged Draco, but he didn't return it. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy walked up behind the two fifth years and shook hands with the Parkinsons. "I was made a prefect, too. Of course I figured you would be picked as the boy for Slytherin house. How was your summer?"

"Well—"

"Draco, may I have a word with you?" Draco nodded and walked to an empty space on the platform. "I noticed you weren't returning Pansy's hug. Why is that?"

"I'm not fond of her, and I'm not one for hugging, Father."

"I suggest you change your attitude about her and her hugs then. I had planned to wait until next summer to tell you this, but the two of you have been betrothed since her birth."

"She was telling the truth when she claimed we were betrothed?"

"Yes, why wouldn't you believe her?"

"I'm a Slytherin, Father. I question everything anyone says."

"That's a good thing, but she has been telling the truth. I suggest you work on getting closer with her so your marriage will be easier for the both of you. You don't have a choice in the matter, Draco."

The youngest Malfoy nodded. "Yes, Father."

"Have a good year at school." Lucius Malfoy waved his wife over to him, and Draco returned to Pansy. The whistle on the train blew, and all of the students boarded, searching for a compartment to sit in. Draco and Pansy walked on the train until they found the compartment where the prefect meeting was to be held, waiting with each other.

* * *

Harry entered a compartment that had Luna, Ginny, and Neville in it since both Ron and Hermione had to go to the prefect meeting. They had promised to come find him later, but he wasn't sure if that would happen. Luna and Neville were busy looking out of the window, and Ginny came over to sit across from Harry. "Are Ron and Hermione with the rest of the prefects?" Harry nodded. "Well, you still have us for company. Do you want to play Exploding Snap?"

"Sure, it isn't like we have anything else that we can do."

Ginny got Exploding Snap out of her bag. "Luna, Neville, come play Exploding Snap with us."

An hour later, Ron and Hermione arrived in their compartment. Hermione smiled brightly at everyone. "Hey, I see you managed to survive without us, Harry. Thanks, Ginny."

"No problem, Hermione."

Everyone moved over to make room for the new prefects, and Ron whispered to Harry. "Did you see Cho on your way down here?"

"Yeah, but it hurts to look at her. She reminds me too much of Cedric now."

"You don't like her anymore then, do you?" Harry shook his head. "That's okay, Harry. There are plenty of other girls around."

Hermione looked up, noticing the crestfallen look on Harry's face and stood up. "I'll be back in a little while. I just thought I should go on patrol. It won't take me too long." Hermione left and the other five occupants of the compartment were left alone.

"Neville, how was your summer?"

Neville shrugged. "It was okay, just like every other summer I suppose. Oh, I got a _mimbulus mimbletonia_ for my birthday. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria; it's supposed to be really, really rare." He pulled it out of his schoolbag, along with Trevor, his toad. "Here, let me show you something. It's got an amazing defense mechanism." Soon everyone in the compartment was covered in Stinksap from Neville's plant.

Ginny cleaned up the mess, casting _Scourgify_. "What about you, Luna? How was your summer?"

"My father and I went on a trip in search of the Blibbering Humdingers. It was quite wonderful."

The food cart showed up at their compartment, and Harry bought a large amount of candy, enough for everyone in the compartment, plus Hermione, to have their fill. Hermione reappeared a few minutes later, three seventh years in tow. Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Lee Jordan were all standing with Hermione, devious grins on their faces.

"Hermione said that—"

"—Harry was upset—"

"—and that he needed—"

"—cheering up!"

Ron stared at his twin brothers and their friend until he turned his eyes to Hermione. "You thought it would be a good idea to get the twins to help?" Hermione nodded. "I think we've had enough fun for today. Neville got all of us covered with Stinksap earlier."

The three seventh years pushed through the compartment to Neville upon hearing about the Stinksap and started immediately asking him questions about the plant and the uses of Stinksap.

"They're perfectly fine. The twins are always good for a laugh, and I thought that might be exactly what Harry needs right now." As if on cue, small fish in different colors appeared and began swimming through the compartment. Harry smiled at them, even if it was only for a moment. "See, Ron, they're cheering him up a little, and I think that's better than nothing."

The fish started affectionately rubbing against all of the compartment's occupants before they became pink birds, and so it continued until the Hogwarts Express reached Hogsmeade.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note:

Just in case anyone's confused (and you can always send me a review with anything that's confusing so I can clear it up), treat the summer before Harry's fifth year like a regular summer for him: no dementor attacks, no escape to Grimmauld Place, and no contact between the Golden Trio besides letters from the time when Harry was taken back to Privet Drive to the time when Harry was taken to the Burrow for the last week of summer holiday. It was just a regular summer for Harry.

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Chapter 9

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in a corner of the Gryffindor Common Room, talking quietly. They'd been at Hogwarts for about a week, and most of the Gryffindors had already adjourned to their dorms, the remaining students slowly trickling out of the common room. Eventually the members of the Golden Trio were the only people left, the fire the only comfort they had left besides each other.

"Hermione, why did you tell us to stay down here until everyone left?"

"We were never alone for long enough this summer since one of the Weasleys always intruded on us when we'd started talking to each other, and I wanted to ask Harry some questions."

"Questions about what, 'Mione?"

"I haven't been able to find anything about what happened to you at the end of last year. Can you remember anything else about what happened? Do you know what spell they cast on you? Did the potion you were taking have any distinct taste; did it make you feel anything different than what you would normally feel? I wrote down everything that I could about what it looked like, but I haven't been able to find out anything. I was hoping that you could tell me something to make my search a bit easier."

"Of course, what do you want me to start with?"

"The spell. Do you know what they said or what it looked like? Do you happen to know the wand movement they used when they were casting it?"

Harry shook his head. "I had my back turned to them, and it hit me as I was leaving. I wasn't able to see any of it."

"Well, can you remember anything that Madam Pomfrey said about your condition? When we talked to her she didn't know what was wrong with you."

Harry thought for a moment before he answered, trying to remember what he was told in the Infirmary. "When she started talking, I didn't catch what she said since I was too busy adjusting to my surroundings. I took a potion she gave me, and it took away the pain—"

"It was probably a pain relieving potion then. Continue."

"Then she gave me another potion. She said it would protect my organs and anything else I needed to stay alive—"

"Your situation must have been pretty bad. From what it sounds like, she probably used Protectoseum; that's one of the strongest preserving potions in the world. I mean, you looked terrible when you came back to the Quidditch Pitch, unconscious and all, but I don't think any of us knew it would be that bad."

"After that, she said they didn't know what was wrong with me, but they had one idea. I needed to tell them what happened, and when I tried all I could do was cough. It felt like pins were pricking my throat every time I tried. I'm not sure how I managed to swallow the potions when it felt like that, but I did. I pulled the memories of what had happened to the front of my mind and Snape looked at them. His eyes were wide when he finally pulled out and he just stood there staring at the wall for a few minutes. Then he went to Pomfrey's office and used the floo. Pomfrey started running scans on me, and I was too exhausted to put up a fight. I felt horrible. The pain potion had helped, but it was already starting to fade—"

"Harry, pain relieving potions are designed to work for at least four hours. It couldn't have been that long since you had taken it. They called us back to you after around five hours."

"All I know was that I was in pain everywhere, 'Mione. Anyway, Snape came back and told Pomfrey that he was right. Dumbledore was going to Romania, and it would take him two and a half hours to brew the potion. He wanted her to put me in stasis, but she said my condition was too unstable. She gave me a vial of Dreamless Sleep, and that's all I remember. Oh, Snape said that Charlie had to get an ingredient for him, too; that's probably why Dumbledore was in Romania."

"Ron, how long does it take for an owl to get to Romania and back?"

Ron sighed and thought for a moment. "It's a day's trip for an owl one way. It would probably take three days for us to get a reply after we sent it unless he uses a different owl to send his message back."

"We'll send him a letter first thing tomorrow. Harry, what happened after they woke you up?"

"Pomfrey ran some scans, and then they gave me a potion. Then I'd pass out and they'd give me another one once I woke up. Eventually Dumbledore cast Stupefy on me."

"Do you know why he cast Stupefy on you?"

"No, but he lifted it a minute later. Charlie cast a spell at the same time. I didn't catch the first part since Dumbledore was talking, too, but it sounded like Stupemagna Creatura. I've never heard of it before. Light wrapped around me from both of their wands, but that's normal for spells that are working together. Dumbledore called a staff meeting, and McGonagall left to get the two of you. That's all I know about what happened."

Hermione was furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment. "I'll have to look that spell up. It might help me with research. Can you remember anything distinct about the potion? You had to take it a lot then, and you had to take it four times a day at Ron's house. I'm sure you remember something about the taste or how you felt."

Harry laughed. "It was smoky. I coughed a bit after I took it when I was at Ron's house. I think I was in too much pain when I took it the day of the tournament to do anything other than pass out. I suppose I felt a bit out of sorts for the first minute or two each time I took it, but then I felt stronger than ever. That probably doesn't mean much since I was so weak then."

Hermione nodded. "Can you remember anything else that might help me?" Harry shook his head. "Have you talked to Pomfrey, Snape, McGonagall, or Dumbledore about it?"

"I've tried to talk to Pomfrey, McGonagall, and Dumbledore, but they won't tell me anything. If they won't talk, I don't see any reason why Snape would, and I can't stand being around the greasy git anyway."

"Alright, we'll send a letter to Charlie tomorrow. Hopefully he'll help us."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note:

Quick update! Yep, you all get two updates in one day. I felt like being generous to make up for my writer's block a while ago.

It's hard to believe that this story already has ten chapters. I'd just like to thank all of you for your follows, favorites, and reviews. I wouldn't have continued this far without all of you to push me along. I know I've said this before, but if there's anything you want to see happen in this story, let me know and I'll try to work it in somehow if it doesn't go completely against the plot I have planned out. Also, I've made a decision; the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher isn't Umbridge. I might have more on that later if the plot bunnies don't leave me alone. Harry is, however, still going to have visions.

* * *

Chapter 10

*September 12, 1995*

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were eating breakfast in the Great Hall. Ron was tearing into a pile of sausage as usual, Hermione was eating a slice of toast while reading a spell book, and Harry was picking at a plate of eggs and fruit. Today was the day Charlie's letter was supposed to arrive, and Harry was nervous. They wouldn't have anything to go off of if Charlie didn't tell them anything, but at the same time Harry wanted to believe that everything was still the same. He certainly didn't feel any different, and it didn't seem as if anything had changed. He felt a bit stronger, but he'd spent the summer with the Dursleys where they barely fed him; it didn't take much for him to get stronger than he had been.

The owls flew into the Great Hall, a cacophony of screeches and flapping wings. Hedwig landed between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry picked up a piece of bacon and gave it to his owl as he untied the letter attached to her leg. Hedwig affectionately nipped Harry's finger and gave a hoot before she flew away to the Owlery. Hermione had helped Harry write the letter they had sent to Charlie, but they had all decided that Harry would be more likely to get an answer if he was the one to write and send the letter.

Harry began to unroll the parchment, and Hermione watched him. "Well, what did he say, Harry?" Harry looked down as the writing on the letter in his hands was finally revealed.

_Tânăr balaurul,_

_I am using this name in case any of my mail gets intercepted. The flight  
between Britain and Romania is long, and I would hate to leak information.  
While I can understand your need for knowledge on what happened to you  
at the end of last school year, __Dumbledore has instructed all of us not to  
give anyone information about what occurred. I suggest you ask __him any  
questions that you might have. Give my best wishes to my younger siblings,  
as well as Hermione, and I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with  
you as a result of what happened at the end of the Triwizard Tournament and  
what we did to save your life. Everyone here at the dragon sanctuary stands  
behind you, and we are currently saving The Daily Prophet as tender for any  
bonfires we might have. I hope you have a fun and safe school year, and I  
wish you the best of luck as your OWLs approach._

_-Charlie_

Harry passed the letter to Hermione and played with his eggs some more. The Golden Trio didn't have a class directly after breakfast, so they were going to the library. Hermione thought she might have a lead on the spell Charlie had used, but she wasn't revealing anything until she had researched it fully. Ron looked up as Hermione passed the letter to him.

Fifteen minutes later the three friends were in the library, each of them with a book in front of them. Hermione was looking through multiple spell books, and Ron and Harry each had an English-Romanian dictionary. Hermione had told them to find out what _t_ânăr balaurul meant, just in case it had some hidden meaning. She had promised them that she had almost finished researching the spell, but they were never sure what Hermione meant when she said she was 'almost' finished with something.

Harry and Ron had been writing what they had found on a piece of parchment. They both knew that Hermione didn't like to be disturbed while she was reading, especially since she was furiously scribbling with her quill. Surprisingly, she closed her book and put her quill down before the boys had finished looking up their two words. Clearly Hermione had meant it when she said she was almost finished with her research.

When the boys had finished, she spoke. "Well, what does it mean?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other before Harry picked up the parchment. "Gosh, Ron, your handwriting is atrocious." Ron nodded; he'd been lectured on it by Hermione many times before. "It means young dragon, but he's around dragons all the time; I don't think he means anything by it."

Hermione looked from Harry, to Ron, to their parchment, to the letter, and finally to her parchment. "I might beg to differ. From what I've found, he could very well mean something behind it, although I'll admit that my research doesn't make much sense. I'm sure somehow it will all fit together if I talk it out to both of you."

Harry nodded. "Go ahead, 'Mione."

"Well, the only spell I could find that has Stupemagna Creatura in it is the spell they use to Ennervate Dragons, Ennervium Stupemagna Creatura. It reverses the effects of casting Stupesquamis Incursio on a Dragon."

"What could that possibly have to do with Harry? He's not a Dragon."

"You're right, Ron; Harry's not a Dragon. I'm not sure why they used it on him. Harry, you said that Charlie's spell mixed with Dumbledore's, didn't you?"

"Yeah, they did."

Ron grinned. "I've got it; they needed a really strong Ennervate to heal you."

"Ron, I hate to discourage you when you're thinking, but if they just needed to cast a stronger Ennervate on Harry they wouldn't have given him a potion to take with it."

"Besides, I wasn't under the effects of anything like Stupefy until Dumbledore cast it on me."

Ron sighed. "That's right; I forgot about that."

"Anyway, I looked up the Stupesquamis Incursio spell since Ennervium Stupemagna Creatura is the counter-spell. It's used to stun Dragons since they're so much larger than anything else and they have scales to protect themselves from magic. It's such a strong spell that it's fatal if cast on anything other than a Dragon. It doesn't immediately kill them, but it causes the animal's body to shut itself down without much reason, causing sourceless pain at the same time. Of course there's a reason for it, but because it's caused by the spell there won't be a source on any medical scans. There isn't a cure for it."

Harry thought for a moment. "They didn't know what was wrong with me, though. Doesn't that fit the same description?"

"Yes, Harry, but there isn't a cure for it. It's a fatal spell; if you had been hit by it you would be dead right now." Hermione looked up and cast a Tempus charm. "Oh, we have to leave right now or we'll be late for Charms."

* * *

In History of Magic class after lunch, Hermione turned to Harry with wide eyes and then began frantically writing on a spare piece of parchment. Harry looked over, surprised to find Hermione jotting information down about Dragons instead of Professor Binns' lecture. She was one of the few people who actually paid attention in the class. Hermione finished writing and looked over her notes before she turned back to Harry. "We need to go see Professor Dumbledore after this class ends. We won't have time after dinner since we have to go to Astronomy."

"Hermione, I've already tried talking to him once. He's not going to answer our questions."

"I think he will; if he doesn't I'll have to assume that he's done something to you that's quite illegal. I can threaten him with a report to the Ministry of Magic. You know they'd be thrilled to find more information that could harm his reputation. Of course if I sent them the report they would have more information to harm your reputation, but I won't send it if he tells us what we want to know."

Harry stared at his friend. "What do you think he's done to me?"

Normally not one to pass notes in class, Hermione looked around before scratching a sentence on her parchment and shoving it towards Harry. _I think he somehow incorporated part of a Dragon into you._


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note:

I hope you all are enjoying the quick updates. I've been on a writing streak ever since I got over that writer's block a little while ago. You all have some really great thoughts about where you think this story's going to go, and the plot bunnies are tempting me to follow them, but a lot of them would affect the entire plot too much. If you're wondering about Draco, he'll be back soon enough. Right now he's doing just about as well as somebody can do when they find out they're betrothed to someone. You can figure out how well that is.

* * *

Chapter 11

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood beside the gargoyle at the entrance to the headmaster's office before dinner that night, shouting the names of sweets until the door opened.

"Lemon Drops!"

"Sugar Quills!"

"Chocolate Frogs!"

"Licorice Wands!"

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans!"

"Pumpkin Pasties!"

"Drooble's Best Blowing Gum!"

"Cauldron Cakes!"

The gargoyle moved and the stairs to Dumbledore's office were revealed. The Golden Trio stood on the steps as they took them up to the polished doors. Harry knocked, and a cheery voice said, "Come in." The three fifth-years entered the room to find their headmaster tinkering with one of his silver instruments intently. "Have a Lemon Drop. They're on the desk. Help yourselves." The Gryffindors remained standing until Dumbledore turned towards them. "Ah, so good to see you. You've actually just caught me before I left on an important trip. What can I do for you all?"

Harry stood as straight as he could, attempting to gain some respectability. "We want answers."

"Answers about what, my boy?"

"What happened to me at the end of last year? What did you all do to me?"

Dumbledore took a seat and motioned for them to do the same, conjuring three chairs for them. "You know what happened. Voldemort returned, and you managed to escape from him. Yes, you were in the Infirmary for a bit, but everything's all right now, and that's what's important. You know everything that you should. We haven't taken any of your memories from you, Harry."

Ron shook his head as the three of them sat down. "No, I think we all know that Harry's stay in the Infirmary wasn't anything to shy away from. From what we've heard from him, multiple spells were cast on him aside from medical scans, and we know he was taking a potion four times a day for two weeks. Normal stays in the Infirmary don't warrant that much action."

"I assure you all that what we were doing was perfectly normal. Madam Pomfrey has cast many spells on students over the years to help them recover from what problems they've had to make them stay under her care, and we simply made him continue to take the potion to ensure that he didn't have any adverse side effects from treatment or a relapse. It was all planned out thoroughly in Harry's best interests."

Hermione looked Dumbledore in the eye. "Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I've done some research based on what Harry remembers, and my results have led me to some conclusions that I think the Ministry might be very interested in hearing."

"What could that possibly be? Please, enlighten me."

Ron stood up, ever the strategist. "She'll do no such thing. What she's found, though, is illegal. We'll go to the Ministry, and the press, if you can't tell us what happened to Harry."

"I assure you, nothing has been done that is illegal."

"I'm sure you know that even if this accusation is proven false, the people won't soon forget that the great Dumbledore may have committed a crime, especially when it concerns The-Boy-Who-Lived. Besides, everything that we want to know will have to come out at the trial. We'll find out in one way or another."

"Harry, my boy, don't you have anything to say? What your friends are doing is absurd. Do you even want to be here right now? You seem to have no interest in this."

Harry shook his head. "Actually, it's quite the opposite. I didn't think there was any cause for concern until now, but if you really hadn't done anything too far out of the normal you wouldn't be protesting quite so heavily, especially with a threat of Ministry involvement in the air. Whatever you all did may have been in my "best interests", but I have a right to know what has been done to my body. I stand by them and the choices that they wish to make." Harry stood, as did Hermione. "If you don't plan to explain yourself to us, we'll leave right now. I think there's enough time to contact the Ministry before dinner begins. There might even be enough time to contact The Daily Prophet."

"Harry, please understand. With Voldemort back, I thought the best thing to do would be to keep this from you until the war was over; there's no reason to potentially alarm you over something that shouldn't affect you in any way. I can see that you won't let this rest until you find out what you want to know. This can wait until after the war is over, give you less to think about."

"No, Dumbledore, I deserve to know who I am. I lived for ten years without knowing who I was, and I don't intend to live any longer in ignorance of myself."

"Sit, sit, I'll tell you. I don't want any of this information to get out. You all have to swear to secrecy; it's the only way to keep Voldemort from learning about what we've done." Three heads solemnly nodded and sat down as Dumbledore cast an extra silencing charm on the door and the window. "If you've done your research thoroughly, which I have no doubt of, although it may stray off of the path of the actual events, you will know that Harry's situation should have been fatal."

"Why?"

"Ah, Harry, you were hit with the Stupesquamis Incursio spell. It's meant to stun Dragons, and only Dragons. It's fatal to any other animal. Actually, give me a moment. There's someone else who could probably explain this better than I can." Dumbledore moved to his fireplace, grabbed a pinch of floo powder, and threw it in the fireplace before shouting "Severus' quarters!" and sticking his head into the fireplace. He pulled his head out a minute later. "Yes, Professor Snape will be able to explain this more thoroughly than I will."

"May I ask why?"

"He has studied the spell more thoroughly than I have. He was the one to diagnose Harry's problem, and he created the potion that saved him. He has a better understanding of everything than I do."

Hermione nodded as Professor Snape came through the fireplace. Dumbledore nodded to him. "Stupesquamis Incursio is the spell used to stun Dragons since they are such powerful creatures and their scales provide such a strong defense. It is fatal to any other creature, such as humans. I'd done some research with the spell, mainly in conjunction with creating a solution to its fatality. Mr. Potter's death was certain, so we decided there would be no harm in trying an experimental solution to save him."

"You gave him a potion when you didn't know if it would work?"

"Yes, Miss Granger, but there were no other options available. As I was saying, your headmaster used a Portkey to contact Mr. Weasley's older brother in Romania for some fresh Dragon blood that would be needed in the potion. I went to my lab to begin the process of making the potion, and thankfully Mr. Weasley's older brother understood some of what we were asking of him since he secured a vial of blood from a Hungarian Horntail."

"The same Dragon I fought in the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Yes, I believe so, Mr. Potter. The problem that lies in my solution is that it is very easy for the power of the Dragon to overwhelm the power of the wizard or vice versa. However, we were pressed for time, so I had already resigned myself to the idea that Mr. Potter would have to work with whatever random Dragon Charlie drew blood from, and we would have to hope for the best. You see, the Dragon blood has to mix with the wizard's blood in order to take on the effects of the Stupesquamis Incursio spell and save the wizard. Mr. Potter is such a strong wizard that the blood from the Hungarian Horntail matched him perfectly, leading to a battle between the two for about two hours as Mr. Potter continued to take the potion. We soon realized that a regular Stupefy would have to be cast on Mr. Potter, and we would have to lift the effects of both stunning spells at the same time in order for the Stupesquamis Incursio spell to leave completely. We instructed Mr. Potter to take the potion four times a day to keep the Dragon blood prominent until it completely mixed with his own blood in order to avoid any chances of a relapse."

"So you're saying that now I'm part Dragon?"

"No, Mr. Potter, your blood has been mixed with that of Dragons, but you are not part Dragon. If you were you would be breathing fire or sprouting wings or claws of some sort. You would have to be born with the Dragon blood that is now inside of you for changes of that sort to take effect."

Harry solemnly nodded. "Thank you, both of you, for finally telling me what happened."

Hermione spoke up for a moment. "You realize that crossing wizards with creatures is illegal, don't you?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Miss Granger, but I believe the law states that it is excusable in the event that it is used when there are no other options available to save the wizard's life. Therefore what we did is not illegal in any way. Now, if that is all you wanted to know, I believe it's time for dinner now."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note:

I was visiting some relatives this past week, and I don't get Internet at their house. I would've told all of you, but we decided when we would leave the day beforehand and this chapter wasn't done yet. I spent a fair amount of time writing while I was there, though, but I had a different vision for this chapter than what it is now, and that version was going to involve details from Order of the Phoenix. I forgot to bring my copy of Order of the Phoenix with me, and I hadn't changed my mind about this chapter yet, so I didn't work on this chapter while I was away. Feel free to be mad at me for that. I did get three chapters of this story done, but they won't appear for a while. (If any of you are waiting for an update on Innocent, which is the other story I'm writing and posting here, I got about half of the next chapter done and I finally decided on a house for Harry.)

I also apologize for how short this chapter is, but I had to end it where I did. Otherwise things would get confusing with when I plan to have the next chapter begin.

* * *

Chapter 12

*October 1995*

Harry and Ron told Hermione good night and headed up to the fifth-years' dorm. They got ready for bed, told each other good night, and pulled the curtains around their four-posters closed. Harry laid in bed thinking for a while. Padfoot had sent him a letter yesterday; while it hadn't said much, it had told Harry that his godfather was still alive and hadn't been caught by anyone. Buckbeak was still doing well, and Moony had been visiting his fellow marauder. Hopefully Harry would be able to see both of them over the winter holidays.

It had been over a month, but Harry still wasn't used to the idea that the blood in him wasn't entirely human. As far as Harry could tell, nothing was different about himself, and while he hoped things stayed like that, a part of him wished something would happen to prove that he wasn't entirely human, if only so he wouldn't worry about it.

Harry fell into a restless sleep after half an hour of listening to his own thoughts. He hadn't been sleeping well since Voldemort's return, constantly worrying since he was Voldemort's number one target. Nightmares plagued him of Voldemort's return in the graveyard and Cedric's death. While he had liked Cho at one time, he knew he would never like her again; the memories he relived when he saw her were too strongly attached to that horrific night.

This was the first night that his constant dream changed, though. Now he would have dreams of walking down a long hallway lined with doors, desperately hoping to reach the end, although he never knew why.

* * *

Draco was sitting in the Slytherin common room before the fireplace, gazing into the flames. Everyone else had gone to bed, and he liked the common room that way; it was silent. He could sit and think about his life, calculating the best way to do things, and he did this nearly every night, often staying awake into the early hours of the morning.

Earlier today he had been reminded of his predicament with Pansy. She'd thrown a fit at the dinner table when he'd refused to hold her hand. It wasn't his fault he didn't like her and that he would be forced to marry her; well, it was probably his fault that he didn't like her, but she was obnoxious and nosy. With what he had going on around him, he didn't want anyone pushing their way into his business. He needed to make a plan.

The flames crackled, reflecting in Draco's eyes as he sat in contemplation. He'd already looked over a copy of the marriage contract, and both sides had made sure there weren't any loopholes. The only way he could get out of it was if he was unable to marry or produce an heir. Marrying someone else first or getting someone else pregnant didn't count. He didn't hate the girl enough to take his own life, and he would never consider pursuing the other option.

Pansy wouldn't constantly push into his business if he actually gave her what she wanted and tried to like her, would she? Draco sighed. He'd have to try it; if they were going to be married he'd have to find something attractive about her anyway. If it got her to stop clinging to him constantly then it was all the better.

Draco shook his head and stood. He'd have to try it tomorrow and hope for the best. He wouldn't do anything too drastic; he was a Malfoy, and he had standards to uphold. Perhaps they could start with short conversations in the hallway or something. Yes, that would do for now. He would establish some sort of physical contact with her in two weeks or so. Holding hands ought to be a good way to start with that. After all, he still didn't like the girl.

With these plans in mind, Draco headed down the hallway that would take him to his room, realizing he would probably end up lying in bed thinking about his other predicaments for the rest of the night.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note:

Two chapters in one day! The length of this one should make up for how short the last one was.

I just wanted to thank all of you for your readership. It means a lot to me to know that people keep reading it, following it, favoriting it, and reviewing it. Hopefully that means all of you are enjoying it so far. We're on Chapter 13 now, and there's just something I've never liked about the number 13. I wanted to add some happiness in the author's note while I can. Have fun reading this chapter, and please review with your thoughts on it.

* * *

Chapter 13

*November 1995*

Draco was sitting on a couch in the Slytherin common room next to Pansy. He'd been trying his new approach to her out for the past few weeks, and it had worked in getting her to leave him alone when he needed to be on his own without her nosing into his business. It hadn't made him see anything worth liking in her, though. If anything, he hated her even more. She was extremely self-centered, and now she wouldn't stop asking his opinion of details for their wedding.

"Should the flowers be blue or red, Draco?"

He thought for a moment, even though he found the idea of flowers at his wedding disgusting. He'd never liked flowers. They were too delicate, too dependent on people to take care of them. "Blue, I suppose."

Pansy nodded. "They'll be white then. What about the cake? Do you have a preference on the flavor of it?"

Draco inwardly shook his head and took her hand in his own. He hadn't touched her yet, and hopefully it would quiet her. Making wedding plans wouldn't make him like her. If anything, it would scare him more than he thought possible. "I'm sure whatever you want will be perfect."

Pansy blushed as she looked at her hand, then to the person holding it, and back again before settling her gaze on Draco's eyes. Draco's hand was beginning to tingle, small bursts of pain in his fingers, but he resisted the urge to break the contact with her. "Draco, I—Ouch!" She moved her hand away from his. "What's happened to your hand?"

Draco looked at his hand in surprise. The skin on his hand was now a bit scaly, and it was slightly paler than normal, which was strange since he didn't think his skin could get any paler. His fingers, though, were hard and sharp, curved and coming to points at the tips. He'd have to figure out what had happened later; he didn't need Pansy to make a big scene in the common room. "Sorry, it must be a side effect from my training."

"Your training?"

"Yes, I'm training to become an Animagus. Before a wizard's completely changed his form parts of him change randomly. That must have been what happened."

"What's your Animagus form?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure yet, and it would be dangerous to talk about it here where anyone can listen. It's not exactly something I would want people to know."

Pansy looked at him strangely for a moment. "You'll tell me when you figure it out, won't you? I am you fiancée after all."

Draco nodded as he stood up. "Of course. Please excuse me; I have a meeting with my godfather for tea."

"Fine, will I see you at dinner?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose." He left the common room and walked to Professor Snape's quarters. He didn't really have a meeting with him. They never scheduled times when they would see each other apart from Potions; they just showed up where the other was when they wanted to talk to them. Draco knew his godfather didn't have any classes for the rest of the day, and he figured he might now what was happening to him. Of course he had lied to Pansy when he said it was a side-effect of Animagus training; he didn't want to become an Animagus, and fifth-years weren't allowed to anyway.

Draco glanced back down at his hand. It was perfectly normal now, but he couldn't have imagined what had happened. Pansy had seen it, too, and he had felt the pain in his hand as it had most likely changed. Professor Snape would have an answer; he was much smarter than what people gave him credit for, and he would know whether it had been a potion, a spell, or some other bizarre occurrence.

He reached the portrait guarding his godfather's quarters and knocked on the frame. The wizard that was normally in the portrait was dueling with the subject of a different portrait. "Stop, I have business to take care of. We'll resume our duel in a moment. Ah, Draco, what is the password?"

"Basilisk fangs,"

"That's correct. Have a nice chat with your godfather."

"Thank you. I wish you the best of luck in your duel." The portrait opened, and Draco stepped through it as it closed behind him. "Uncle Severus, where are you?"

A voice shouted from an adjoining room. "I'm grading some papers turned in by second-years. I'll be out in just a moment, Draco. Have a seat and order some tea from a house elf."

Draco did just that, inspecting his hand as he waited on the edge of a black couch. Green pillows were on it, as well as the two black armchairs. The house elf arrived with the tea and set it on the coffee table before disappearing with a Pop! The coffee table was a dark green stone with silver streaks curling through it and black legs holding it up. Professor Snape came in through a room and sat in the armchair facing Draco. "It's nice to see you, Draco." Severus picked up the pot of tea. "Was there something you wanted to talk about or did you just want to come visit me?" He poured the tea into the two cups and passed one to his godson.

"Actually, I was hoping you could give me some information."

Severus sipped his tea and sat back in his armchair. "What kind of information?"

"Something happened to me a few minutes ago in the common room, and I was hoping you could help me figure out what caused it."

Severus nodded as Draco sipped his own tea. "Tell me about it. What happened?"

"Well, you see, I was holding Pansy Parkinson's hand since apparently I'm betrothed to her—"

"Did you just now learn that?"

"Father told me as I was about to get on the Hogwarts Express this year."

Severus shook his head. "I'm sorry you didn't learn of it sooner; I would have told you had I known your parents hadn't already done so."

"Anyway, I was holding her hand, and my hand grew claws."

Severus stared at his godson. "Claws?"

"Yes, claws."

Severus glanced at his godson's hands. "They look fine now. Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

"I'm quite sure. My hand started tingling, and my fingers were in pain. After that she shouted and pulled her hand away. My hand had grown claws."

Severus sighed. His godson always seemed to end up in more troublesome incidents than he deserved. "Focus on it. I want to see what it looked like for myself." Draco set his cup down, nodded, and looked at his godfather's eyes. "Legilimens."

Professor Snape studied his godson's hand as it changed, taking careful note of each detail. He'd never seen anything like it before, and he was upset with the only possible explanation he could come up with for it. He pulled out of his godson's mind and looked at the perfectly normal hands as they were now.

"Well, those aren't claws." Draco gave his godfather a confused look. "They're talons. The two are nearly the same thing, though."

"Do you know why that's happening?"

Severus shook his head. "No, but I might know how it's happening. I've never seen anything like it before." He thought for a moment, contemplating what he was about to say next as he put his hand on the armrest of his chair, palm up. "Hold my hand."

Draco gulped. "Are you sure you want me to do that?"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "It's not going to mean anything; I just want to see if it will happen again. It's purely in the name of finding out what's happening to you."

Draco set his hand on top of his godfather's and watched it, but nothing happened. He didn't feel the tingling, the pain. "You said you thought you knew how it was happening?"

Severus nodded. "I think it has something to do with the Dragon blood."

Draco stared at his godfather. "What Dragon blood are you talking about, Uncle Sev?"

Severus carefully studied Draco's face. The eyes were blank; Draco really had no idea what he had meant. "Please tell me they've told you about the Dragon blood."

"Who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your parents. Have they told you about the Dragon blood?"


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note:

I hope you all are happy that you get three chapters in one day. By the way, I've just gotten a bit of news in real life. It seems I'm going to be spending a large portion of my time preparing for relatives to visit in a few weeks. We never have visitors, so the house is a bit of a mess, and when I say 'a bit' it's a vast understatement. I probably won't have quite as much time to write, especially since I know a few of the chapters coming up will rely heavily on events in the actual book. (I'll probably take a lot of exact scenes from Order of the Phoenix. I hope you all don't mind.)

Anyway, I did say that this story wouldn't just be written about Harry, but about Draco as well. Clearly Draco's got some issues of his own going on. I hope you all don't hate me for leaving you with a slight cliffhanger on the last chapter. Personally, I think they're wonderful since they make the readers think so much about what could happen. Cliffhangers for a show that won't have a new episode out for another few months, not so much.

* * *

Chapter 14

_Severus carefully studied Draco's face. The eyes were blank; Draco really had no idea what he had meant. "Please tell me they've told you about the Dragon blood."_

_"Who are you talking about?"_

_"I'm talking about your parents. Have they told you about the Dragon blood?"_

"No, I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about."

Severus sighed. "I suppose I'll have to tell you about it myself then. Honestly, is there anything that your parents did tell you?" He took a sip of his tea. "Well, when you were born the Dark Lord was still powerful since his spell hadn't rebounded off of Harry Potter yet. Around that time he had ordered me to create a potion that would strengthen his Death Eaters. He wanted to intertwine some characteristics of Dragons with them to make them less vulnerable. I developed a potion, and we tested it on some of the Death Eaters."

"What happened?"

"All of them died. Some held on longer than others, but it killed all of them. He was staying at Malfoy Manor the weekend after you were born as he did occasionally, and he told us that we needed to try the potion on a baby, a baby that was barely a week old, a baby that would be powerful due to his lineage."

"You're talking about me?"

Severus nodded. "Yes, unfortunately. None of us wanted that to happen to you, but we didn't have much of a choice. If we resisted he would torture or kill us, and then he would still use it on you anyway. We figured you would have a higher chance of living if we introduced the potion to you in our own way. We put a drop or two in each of your bottles, we put a few drops in your food when you grew old enough to eat, we put a few more drops of the potion in your juice and your water when you grew old enough to drink liquids other than milk, and we hoped for the best."

"Couldn't you have just made another potion that looked and smelled like the one he wanted me to take that was harmless and given it to me instead?"

Severus shook his head. "No; while I may be an extremely talented Occlumens, your mother and father are not so lucky. They tried to do that the first few times, but he would always find out and torture them for giving you a fake potion. He tortured me for brewing them a fake potion."

"How long did you all do that for?"

"We stopped the day after he disappeared, the day after he went to Godric's Hollow for Harry. We assumed over the years that nothing had happened to you since you didn't seem any different than normal children. I thought they would have said something to you about it, though."

"What does Dragon blood have to do with it?"

Severus sighed. "The potion I created needed Dragon blood in it to work. Theoretically, the same basic potion could be used with any other animal, using their blood instead of a Dragon's. It mixes the creature's blood with the blood of the wizard who drinks the potion."

"So you're saying that I'm not pureblooded? You're saying that I'm a crossbreed with a Dragon?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I'm not sure what your blood status would be now, but nobody knows about what you went through except the Dark Lord, your parents, me, and now you. Nobody can hold it against you. I wouldn't say that you're a crossbreed with a Dragon, either, because you came from two human parents. There were no Dragons involved until after you were born."

Draco sighed, slightly shaking with the weight of the news. He asked another question, even though he was afraid of the answer. "What does this have to do with what happened to my hand earlier?"

"You realize that Dragons have talons, correct?" Draco slowly nodded. "I'm not sure why it happened while you were holding hands with Pansy, but I think the Dragon genes in you turned your hand into a talon."

"What should I do?"

"Well, I definitely wouldn't go any farther than holding hands with her unless you can do that a few times without your hands becoming talons. I'm not sure what would happen, but holding hands is a much better option since there's a bit of knowledge on what happens if you do. I'll look into it, and I'll let you know if I find out anything."

Draco nodded, glancing at the clock sitting atop the mantle. "We've missed dinner."

"No matter, we'll just order something and eat here."

Draco sat quietly as his godfather ordered them two plates of whatever had been served for dinner that night. It turned out to be Shepherd's Pie. A glass of firewhiskey and a bottle of butterbeer were served with it. "So, you were marking second-years' papers?"

Severus nodded. "Did you want to help me?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "It might help me take my mind off of what I've learned today."

Severus nodded and stood up to retrieve them. "How was Charms class today?"

"It was Charms; it's never anything special."

"I'm sorry about that. How was Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Draco sighed. "Professor Trendle tends to have us study the book much more often than we actually put anything to use. I'd like a bit more practice on most of the spells, but there isn't much I can do about it. I know you're not fond of him, and I know he's a werewolf, but I miss Professor Lupin in that respect. He never studied the book that much; he preferred for us to learn from actually facing what we're supposed to defend ourselves against."

Severus dropped the second-years' papers on the coffee table. "Ah, yes, I heard about the boggart. It seems the boggart took the form of me multiple times."

Draco smiled. "Yes, Longbottom's boggart especially. He couldn't get you to go away until he imagined you in one of his grandmother's hats."

Severus smirked. "Charming, I'm sure."

Draco looked at the papers. "What did they have to report to you about?"

"It's a paper on Swelling Solutions. I'm sure you know what it should include." Draco nodded; Potions was one of his favorite subjects, not only because his godfather was the teacher but because he genuinely liked the subject.

They'd eaten dinner, and they were in the middle of grading papers when a thought entered Draco's mind. "Uncle Severus?"

"Hmm?"

"What am I going to do if it doesn't stop?"

Severus shook his head. "I really don't know, Draco."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note:

Some of your reviews really make me think about stuff that will happen later, like the things that I would never consider asking about this story in a million years. (And every writer should keep asking themselves questions about their story.) This is the importance of reviewing; you can make the writer think about something or even create an entire plot bunny for them (which has yet to happen in this story). I hope that gave you a reason to review. Feel free to just type your thoughts out to me; I'll read and reply to all of them.

I'm sorry this chapter is kind of short. If it's any consolation, the next three chapters are already written. I just have to make some changes to the next chapter. This was originally going to be a bit longer, but I realized that I would basically be copying what happened in Order of the Phoenix word for word. I'm going to assume that you all have read it and know what happens in the part I'll be skipping.

Anyway, Harry's back! As for Draco, well, he's probably off sulking somewhere…or imagining what he could do to Pansy with his talons. Maybe that would get him out of the marriage contract…

* * *

Chapter 15

Harry was sitting in the library with Ron and Hermione as Ron finished an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts. It hadn't taken Harry much time to finish it since it was on Dementors and the use of the Patronus charm. He'd conquered all of that years ago, and he assumed he knew more about it than most of the people in the class had before they wrote their essays. Hermione looked at Harry, and when he noticed it he raised an eyebrow at her. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but it could be anything.

"Harry, would you mind if we went to an empty classroom and practiced some of the spells from Defense Against the Dark Arts? We don't get a lot of practice in class, and it would be good to get some more in before our OWLs."

"Course, 'Mione. Do you want to go do it right now?"

Hermione nodded. "I finished my homework, and I'm proud of you for finishing yours, too. We don't have anything else to do, and if we stay here Ron's bound to ask us to help him with his essay, and we both know that means give him everything he needs to know."

Harry packed his things in his bag while Hermione stood up. "Ron, if you need us we'll be in an empty classroom on the third floor, probably the one across from the knight. Don't come until you've finished your work; we'll only distract you."

Ron looked up, only now realizing they'd been talking. "Where are you going?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "The third floor, to an empty classroom, probably across from the knight; we'll studying. Come find us when you're done with your essay."

Harry and Hermione left the library before Ron could ask any more questions. "What spells do you want to practice?"

Hermione thought for a few moments. "I'd like to practice all of them, but I think we'll have to settle for the spells that can be used without a plant or creature that's about to attack you."

Harry nodded. "Expelliarmus?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes, even Expelliarmus. You've got Expecto Patronum mastered, and we could try Impedimenta."

Soon enough, they reached the empty classroom Hermione had told Ron they were going to, and the door was unlocked. Both of them went inside, closed the door, and cast silencing charms so they wouldn't be heard and interrupted by a professor.

An hour later there was a knock on the door. "Harry? Hermione? Are you in there?"

Harry was closest to the door, so he ran to it and opened it. "Yeah, we put silencing charms up so nobody would hear us."

Ron looked at his two best friends. "What exactly were you doing in here? I don't see any books, and 'Mione said you were studying."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We are studying; we're studying Defense Against the Dark Arts if you must know. Harry here's a great teacher."

Harry scratched the back of his head. "I wouldn't say that, 'Mione. I'd say you're just really quick to pick up new information."

Once again, Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can finally cast a corporeal Patronus, Ron. Look. Expecto Patronum!" An otter flew out of the tip of Hermione's wand and scampered around the room before it disappeared again. "I figured we needed some more practice on the spells than what we get in class. We do have our OWLs coming up, you know, and these spells are bound to be on it."

"Voldemort's back, too. I think we need all the practice we can get for the real thing."

Ron sighed and nodded. "I guess you'd better start teaching then, Harry."

* * *

A week later the entire 5th year Gryffindor Defense Against the Dark Arts class was meeting twice a week in an empty classroom to practice the spells they'd been taught in class in preparation for their OWLs and the inevitable war. Other years in their house had asked if they could join them, and some of the 5th years had been talking to their 5th year friends in other classes. The Golden Trio had considered the idea, but the empty classroom was barely large enough for their needs with the 5th year Gryffindors alone. Unless they could find a larger meeting place, everyone else would have to be excluded.

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were finalizing their plans for the winter holidays. Hermione was going skiing with her parents, and Ron and Harry would have to stay at Hogwarts where it was safer with Voldemort on the loose unless something drastic happened. The boys didn't mind too much, though; Fred, George, and Ginny would have to stay at Hogwarts with them, and they could have snowball fights when it finally snowed.

Unfortunately, those plans did change when Harry had a vision of Mr. Weasley being attacked by Nagini.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note:

If you saw the "new chapter" that was posted earlier today... spoiler alert? I accidentally posted Chapter 17. I deleted it, so you won't see it if you go looking for it now. This is the chapter that I actually meant to post, although I suppose Chapter 17 still made sense since it repeats so much of what happened in this chapter in summary. I really like this chapter, though, so here you go.

Obviously, you shouldn't have to wait too long until the next update since it's already written; I'll probably post it (again) tomorrow. The next two chapters are in the group of chapters that I wrote while I was visiting some of my family a while ago. (Yes, the story was planned out enough to write this far into it in advance. Some of the chapters coming up, which I'll point out when they're posted, were written so far in advance that they were ready before the second chapter of this story.) I can't wait to find out what your thoughts are on what's happening now; I've been eagerly awaiting them since I wrote these chapters.

* * *

Chapter 16

*January 2, 1996*

Harry had been distant from everyone since the night after Nagini had attacked Mr. Weasley. The younger Weasleys and Hermione had guessed it was because of Mad-Eye Moody's comment about Voldemort possessing Harry, but they didn't know how to make him feel better. He wouldn't let anyone talk to him long enough for anyone to find out how he was doing or what he was thinking about. The winter holiday was over, and the Hogwarts Express had returned everyone to Hogwarts earlier that day. Dinner had ended an hour ago, and while most of the Gryffindors were catching up with one another and their homework in the common room, Harry was sitting on his bed and staring out the window, formulating a plan to escape from Hogwarts and leave everyone he could hurt behind.

Ginny Weasley knocked once on the door, silently pushed it open, and walked to Harry, sitting on his bed beside him. She didn't say anything, staring out the window in silence with The-Boy-Who-Lived. Ginny figured he would say something once he was ready; she didn't want to annoy him and get thrown out of the room. Half an hour later he turned to her. "Why are you up here?"

"I thought you might like the company; you've been so distant from other people these past few weeks."

Harry shook his head and looked down at the floor. He'd never taken the time to really notice the careful patterning of the scarlet flakes in the light gold tiling. Lions were barely discernible in the tiles, slowly moving and roaring. "I appreciate that you didn't talk to me as soon as you came up here, but you must have wanted to tell me something. What was it?"

Ginny took a deep breath, summoning her Gryffindor courage. "Harry, I can firmly say that you aren't being possessed by Voldemort."

"Really? How can you say that with such confidence?"

"I've been there before; I was possessed by him in my first year."

Harry turned his attention to a cloud he could see from the window, a mere focusing point for his eyes as he let everything else be consumed by his thoughts. "Right, you were, and you don't think that's what's happening to me?"

"No, I don't. I know you better than that, Harry. Voldemort doesn't stand a chance against you."

Harry turned to Ginny, taking in her face, her red hair that was shining in the moonlight coming in the window, her soft blue eyes, her lips that he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of. They had a common experience; she had an idea of what he was going through, how horrible it was to have someone so dark and controlling in his head. "Thanks, Ginny."

She smiled at him. "I'm here for you, Harry."

Harry nervously licked his lips and placed his hand on her cheek. She looked somewhat questioningly at him as he leaned towards her, their lips gently meeting.

Suddenly, Harry realized there was something wrong, his throat feeling too warm. He pulled away just in time for a breath of fire to leave his mouth, singing Ginny's hair and causing her to jump back in fright. Frantic, he grasped around for his wand, shouting "Aguamenti!" as he pointed his wand at her hair. Water splashed over Ginny, drenching her completely, the excess water soaking Harry's bed.

"Harry! What just happened?"

"I don't know, Gin. Are you okay?"

"You just breathed fire at me, and now I'm soaking wet! Do I seem okay to you?"

"Err, no, I suppose you aren't okay." Harry pulled off his robe and handed it to her. "Take my robe; it might keep you warm."

Ginny took the offered robe and pulled it around herself. "Thank you. Now explain yourself; what just happened?"

Harry looked at her hair and shook his head. "I don't know, Gin. I mean, I like you, that would explain why I kissed you, but I don't know why I started breathing fire."

"You, you like me? Really, Harry?"

Harry scratched the back of his head, nothing more than a nervous gesture that came naturally to him. "Well, yeah, what's not to like about you?"

Ginny smiled and threw her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly. She pulled back and looked at him, a blush rising to her cheeks. Harry's shirt was wet. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I did that. Erm, Harry, I like you, too."

"You do?"

Ginny nodded and leaned towards him, their lips millimeters apart as she said, "Yes, Harry, what's not to like about you?" She smiled and pressed her lips against his as Harry began to smile. All too soon the feeling of warmth in Harry's throat returned, and he turned away from her as a stream of fire flew out of his mouth, catching the curtains of his four-poster on fire.

Grappling for his wand, Harry held it up from his pillow and shouted, "Aguamenti!" The curtains had a hole in the middle of them, the edges around it burnt. When he pulled the curtains out he noticed it had gone all the way through, a pattern of the same holes across the curtains leaving evidence of what had just happened. His entire bed would be too wet to sleep in tonight, possibly tomorrow night. Harry supposed it was a good thing that he hadn't been sleeping lately, as he wouldn't need to lay in bed to stay awake and think.

Ginny's eyes were wide as she stood up and backed away from Harry. "What was that?" He rose and took a step towards her. "No, don't come any closer until we've figured this out. Why do you keep breathing fire? Is this some kind of joke? Are you trying to seriously hurt me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Gin, it's not like that at all. I don't know what's going on; this has never happened to me before. I think I should go talk to Dumbledore about it; he should know why this is happening."

Ginny nodded. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. I want to know what's going on."


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note:

This is the chapter I accidentally posted earlier. You all get it early because some of the people who read it when it was up are confused.

If you've been staying with this story, thank you! Your readership means a lot to me, as do all of the favorites, follows, and reviews you've made to this story. If you're just now finding this story, there's still time to do all three of those; this story isn't ending any time soon. One of the people reading this story who reviews on pretty much every chapter is SevLoverKat. (If you get the chance, you should really check out some of her work.) She called Dumbledore an interesting name in one of her reviews, and I asked her permission to have a character use it. I hope all of you enjoy seeing that in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 17

Harry and Ginny stood in front of Dumbledore's office. Harry raised a fist to knock on the door, but Ginny opened it before he had the chance to hit the wood with his knuckles. She'd looked in a mirror before they had left the comfort of Gryffindor tower, and she wasn't happy when she saw her hair. "Look, Dumbles—"

"Miss Weasley, as your head of house you should know by now that my name is not 'Dumbles'." Professor McGonagall stood from the headmaster's chair and stared at her two Gryffindors. "You should also know that knocking on the door is the polite way to enter someone's office, as I'm sure Mr. Potter here was about to do. Since you've so rudely barged in here, is there something I can do for either of you?" She looked closer at Ginny. "My dear, why are you so wet? It hasn't been raining today."

Harry put his hand down. "Professor McGonagall, where is the headmaster? We need to talk to him about something serious."

"He's away on a business trip. As Deputy Headmistress, I'm taking his place until he returns. Whatever you need to speak to him about can be said to me; I'll do my best to help you." She conjured a blanket and wrapped it around Ginny's shoulders. "Please, sit down. Would you like a lemon drop?"

"No, thanks." Harry and Ginny sat down in two armchairs in front of the desk. Professor McGonagall sat in the headmaster's chair and popped a lemon drop in her mouth.

"Would you like some tea?" Ginny nodded, and McGonagall ordered three cups from a house elf. A moment later all three of them had a teacup in their hand. "Please explain whatever happened that made the two of you come up here."

Harry swallowed nervously, taking another sip of tea before he began their explanation. "Well, Ginny here is wet because I cast Aguamenti on her—" McGonagall gave him a stern look. "—for good reason. Her hair was on fire."

"Why was Miss Weasley's hair on fire?"

"Well, she was cheering me up—"

McGonagall cut him off. "Why did you need cheering up?"

Ginny answered for him. "Harry's been distant from all of us since the attack on my dad. I was trying to make him feel better. He's been a bit distraught from it all."

"Mr. Potter, the attack on Mr. Weasley was not your fault in any way. I'm sure your friends care about you and want to see you open up to them after all that has happened over the winter holidays. Please, continue."

Harry took another sip of tea. "I did feel better after she talked to me, and then I—well, I—" Harry blushed, as did Ginny. "I kissed her."

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes."Don't tell me that you thought her hair was on fire when you got that close to it. Her hair is naturally that red. I would have thought you would know that with all the time you spend with her brother."

Harry blushed even further. "No, it's not that at all. I know her hair's that red. When I was kissing her I felt this warmth rise in my throat—"

"Was it happiness, Mr. Potter?"

"No, it wasn't natural. I moved away from her in time to catch her hair on fire."

"I highly doubt that a kiss would light Miss Weasley's hair on fire."

"No, I was breathing fire, Professor. I was breathing fire, and it caught her hair. I grabbed my wand and cast Aguamenti on her; that's why she's so wet."

McGonagall thought for a moment. "Miss Weasley, please come here." Ginny stood up and walked around the desk. Minerva picked up Ginny's hair and inspected it. "The ends on the hair right here are burnt. Do you know what might have caused you to breathe fire, Mr. Potter?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but we kissed again after that, and my throat started to feel warm like it had the time before. I turned my head away from her, and I started to breathe fire again. There are holes through the curtains on my bed now from it. If you need any more proof, my entire bed is drenched since I cast Aguamenti on it again."

"You can return to your chair, Ginevra. I know some spells that will fix your hair; I'll help you after we've figured this out. Harry, stand up." Ginny sat down as Harry stood up. McGonagall picked up her wand and flicked it at him, casting some basic scans on him. "Well, I can't find anything that would be causing this sort of reaction." She stood up. "Give me just a moment, will you? I'm going to contact Madam Pomfrey in the Infirmary. Stay here." Professor McGonagall grabbed a pinch of floo powder, threw it into the fireplace, shouted "The Infirmary!", and put her head in the fire. She opened her eyes to see Madam Pomfrey's office. "Poppy! Poppy, are you in there?"

Madam Pomfrey came bustling in the doorway, closing the door behind her. "I'm right here, Minerva. What do you want?"

"I have a student in the headmaster's office. He claims he's been breathing fire. From what I can tell, he almost burned Ginny Weasley's face. I've run the scans on him, and I can't find anything wrong. Do you have any idea what could be happening?"

Poppy thought for a moment. "No, I've never heard of such a thing. Who is it?"

"Harry Potter."

Poppy shook her head and closed her eyes. "I suggest you contact Severus. It might be a side-effect from that potion we gave him at the end of last year. That's the only explanation I can think of."

"I was afraid of that. Thank you, Poppy." Professor McGonagall pulled her head out of the fireplace, stood up, and grabbed another pinch of floo powder. She turned to the two Gryffindors in the headmaster's office. "Madam Pomfrey doesn't know what's wrong, but I know of someone else who could probably help us. I suggest both of you get ready for travel while I check to see if he's in his rooms." She tossed the floo powder into the fireplace, shouted "Severus Snape's quarters!", and stuck her head in the flames once more. "Severus! Severus, are you in here?"

Professor Snape entered the room from the doorway to his potions lab. "What do you want, Minerva? I'm brewing potions for the Infirmary."

"They can wait; I've got two students in the headmaster's office, and one of them was breathing fire. Poppy suggested we talk to you about it. I'm bringing them to your rooms through the floo system. We'll be through in a minute." She pulled her head out of the fire before he could respond and turned to her students. "Well, grab a pinch of floo powder and head to Professor Snape's quarters. He's expecting us; I'll be right behind you."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, swallowing nervously before they headed to the fireplace and traveled to their Potions professor's rooms.


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note:

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out to you all. I've been busy with some stuff, and even though half of this chapter had been written from when I was on vacation (when I wrote the last two chapters), I had planned on making it longer with some other events in it. I'll have some more on my decision to change that in the author's note for the next chapter. Until then, I have a request for you all, as well as the most recent chapter for you all to read.

I've been getting some comments that some of the characters seem OOC ("out of character" to those new to fanfiction). If you ever find yourself agreeing with that, please tell me when and how if you want me to try to go back and change it. I've been trying to write this as close to their characters as possible, so just telling me that they're OOC isn't helping me very much.

Actually, there are only two characters, potentially three, that I would consider OOC, and I'm writing them slightly OOC for a reason. I'd understand if you were commenting on them being OOC, but surprisingly nobody's said anything about them.

Also, if you don't think any of the characters are OOC and you don't want me to change anything, tell me. Otherwise, I might go back and rewrite every chapter anyway.

* * *

Chapter 18

Severus Snape gawked at the now empty fireplace where the Gryffindor Head of House's head had been just the moment before. She'd left him; she hadn't even given him the chance to decline. He didn't even know which student was breathing fire, and how was he supposed to be of any help? There wasn't a potion out there he knew of that could cause breathing fire as a side-effect; the Dark Lord would have started to use it by now if there was. Imagine how many civilians would quiver in fear if their attackers were breathing hot streams of flames at them.

Severus sighed and returned to his potions lab. He'd have to put all of the potions in stasis if he didn't want them to be ruined. Poppy would be on his case if they were; she'd been wanting more of these potions before the winter holidays, and this was the first opportunity he'd had to brew them since. He'd been on a job for Voldemort, brewing large quantities of the Wolfsbane potion to trade with the werewolf clans to sway them to the Dark Lord's side. Little did Voldemort know that he had done the same thing last summer for the Order of the Phoenix, brewing enough to last the werewolves for years in advance. The six months worth of potions he had brewed over the winter holidays were nothing in comparison.

He heard the sound of flames sparking in the other room. Minerva must have returned with the two students. "I'll be there in a moment. Sit where you like, but stay away from the armchairs." There was some movement in the other room, and then everything was quiet. Once all of the potions were in stasis, Professor Snape left the safety of his lab and entered his common room.

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were sitting nervously on his couch, and Minerva McGonagall was standing beside them. Of course it would be two Gryffindors; they got in more trouble that Slytherin house ever did. Bravery causes people to make rash decisions; planning and cunning make people think so they stay out of trouble, or at least they don't get caught. "Please, have a seat in the armchair, Professor." Snape sat in his own armchair and stared at the two Gryffindors, enjoying the way they refused to meet his eyes. "Start talking, both of you. I can't help you if I don't know what happened."

Harry repeated the story to his Potions professor, blushing whenever he mentioned kissing Ginny. He never looked up, preferring to talk to the coffee table and pretend nobody else was in the room.

Snape, however, was deeply contemplating every word. "You breathed fire every time you kissed her?" Harry nodded. "Hold her hand, please."

Harry finally looked up at his professor. "Are you sure you won't give us detention for public displays of affection?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Potter, I'm simply curious as to what will happen. I will give you detention if you refuse to follow a professor's orders."

Harry blushed, looked sideways at Ginny, who was also blushing, and picked up her hand in his. The two of them glanced around the room, looking at the ceiling, the fireplace, the coffee table, anywhere except their hands. Snape and McGonagall, however, watched as the skin on Harry's hand began to reflect the firelight as it became a deep forest green in the light, black where it wasn't reflecting. His fingers sharpened and hardened, black as night. The tips were beginning to dig into Ginny's hand; it wouldn't be long before the skin broke.

Harry looked up at Snape, a pleading look in his eyes. Severus had never seen that look before; usually all he saw in the boy's eyes were resentment and hatred, aside from the reminders of Lily that came with seeing them. As the skin broke on Miss Weasley's hand, blood began to trickle from the punctures.

"That will be enough, Mr. Potter."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled his hand away from Ginny's. He grimaced when he saw the blood on the tips of what had been his fingers and the blood trickling down Ginny's hand from where the skin had been broken.

Snape pulled his wand out and healed Ginny's hand before a pensive look came over his face. The boy had grown talons, just like Draco had when he held Pansy's hand. In truth, he hadn't had any time to look into what could be causing the reaction since Draco had first come to him with the problem. He'd been planning to start researching it as soon as he finished brewing the potions for the Infirmary. Now he would have to find out what was going on for sure, as if his godson wasn't enough of a reason. The headmaster would never leave him alone until he figured out the problem; Harry's fate could very well rest with this, and they couldn't have the boy dying before his time had come to properly defeat the Dark Lord.

Severus took a deep breath before he began what little of an explanation he could give to the Gryffindors. "Harry, I would say the most probable and the broadest cause of this is the potion we gave you at the end of the last school year. As for the exact reason for what is happening, I have a few different ideas that I'll have to research. I'll call you back to my office once I have an answer for you. I'd advise you not to do anything other than kiss or hold hands with Miss Weasley until I speak to you again since you know what will happen if you do either of those actions; you wouldn't be prepared for the reactions to anything else you may do."

Professor McGonagall nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Professor Snape. I do hope you can find a solution to this problem as soon as possible. Harry, Ginny, let's go. I'll walk you back to the common room since it's after curfew."

Ginny stood and walked to the door without a glance at her potions professor. Harry, however, stood with a slight nod to Snape and a whispered "Thank you." before he walked out of Snape's quarters with his head of house and his best friend's sister.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note:

I originally had this next chapter sort of planned out with everything I wanted to include in it, and then I had a guest review on Chapter 16 saying "Hmm… Dragon courtship display?" To that guest reviewer, if you are still reading this story, thank you very much for giving me an idea with those 4 words! To everyone else, what I had planned for this chapter originally will probably be in the next chapter.

I'm sorry this chapter is so late; I've been extremely busy lately. This was a difficult chapter to write, as well, for multiple reasons. In a way, it limits myself and the possible opportunities for later in this story. I feel like that happens any time you define something, and hopefully you'll understand what I mean by that as you read this chapter.

This chapter adds a lot of information to the story, and I'd really appreciate it if you all would let me know what you think about it.

On the bright side, this is the longest chapter in this story so far, and I hope you enjoy it, even though it's taken me much too long to write!

* * *

Chapter 19

*January 3, 1996*

Severus walked out of his potions lab that evening with two large boxes left on a table. He had just finished filling the last box with vials of Calming Draught, and now the Infirmary would be properly stocked with all of the potions it needed. Severus would deliver them in the morning during the first class of the day to avoid running into students in the halls of the castle. Now he was finally free to do research to help his godson with his problem, and Harry as well. He had written a letter to Charlie Weasley last night, and he hoped to get a response in the morning, as the school's owl had a long trip to fly.

Severus had put some thought into the problem since Draco had come to him back in November, and he'd decided that Draco and Harry were most likely going through a sort of 'courting' phase with Pansy and Ginny. Draco was holding Pansy's hand knowing he would have to marry her eventually, and Harry liked Ginny in a way that would most likely lead to them dating one another. Charlie would probably be a more reliable source for information on the rituals of Dragon courtship than any books that were written, as he spent his days and nights with the Dragons and observed their behavior firsthand. Severus had let him know of Harry's symptoms, preferring to keep Draco's predicament a secret, and hopefully Charlie would have an idea as to what was going on if it wasn't a courtship ritual.

Severus left his rooms and walked through the hallways of the dungeons. Dinner had ended half an hour ago, and most of the students were either in their common rooms, in the library, or gallivanting around the school, as was typical for a weeknight in the castle. Of course, he himself was heading to the library to finally get his hands on some books for his research. He couldn't deny that the Hogwarts library was one of the best in the country, with the exception of the libraries in some of the pureblooded families. The students who spent the most time in the library were undoubtedly the Ravenclaws, and they were usually too absorbed in reading their own books to wonder why a professor was wandering into the library. His trademark sneer worked to keep everyone else away. He wouldn't spend too much time there; he would take the books he wanted to his own rooms to keep away any potential prying eyes.

Most of the books regarding magical creatures were kept together, the most important books, as well as the books on the most dangerous creatures, being found in the restricted section. Thankfully, there was a lot known about Dragons due to their close proximity to Dragon keepers in Dragon Sanctuaries around the world. Severus pulled _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ from a shelf in the main part of the library. Whether or not his assumption was correct, he would need some knowledge on the lives of Dragons so he could help both of the boys. He had a duty to Draco, as he was his godfather; he also had a duty to Harry, partly because Dumbledore would want to know what was going on, but mainly because he owed it to Lily's memory to help her son. Striding into the restricted section, Severus grabbed _Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit_, _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland_, _From Egg to Inferno: a Dragon-Keeper's Guide_, and _The Habites and Lives of Dragons_ from a few of the shelves. He shrunk them and slid the miniature books into his pocket. It wouldn't do for him to be seen carrying so many books from the library, especially when they all concerned Dragons. No, this would fit his needs far better than letting the students speculate about what he was doing. He returned to his rooms for the rest of the evening, reading the books for any explanation for the predicaments Draco and Harry were in.

* * *

The next morning, an owl flew to Severus' seat at breakfast. Chewing the offered piece of bacon, the owl allowed the potions master to untie the letter from his leg before taking off again as the man carefully put the letter into his robes with a slight smile on his face.

Severus finished a slice of toast and rose from the staff table, returning to his quarters. Once there was no more chattering in the hallways and the students were in their classes, he gathered the two boxes of potions and left the dungeons for the Infirmary. Severus was easily reminded of the reason he waited until the first class of the day to bring potions to Madam Pomfrey. The hallways were pleasant without students making noise from footsteps, gossip, and bags that liked to rub against robes as students walked.

Madam Pomfrey greeted the Potions Professor as he entered the Infirmary. "Thank you. I used my last Calming Draught this morning." Severus placed the boxes on a table. "A first-year forgot to pay attention to the moving stairs and walked right off the end of a hallway. Thankfully the stairs on the floor below were in place to catch him, but he came out of it with a broken leg. He was so shaken up I had to give him my last Calming Draught to keep him still so the bones would mend in the right places. Say, did Minerva tell you about what happened to Potter the other night?"

"Excuse me?"

"She claimed he was breathing fire. I told her to ask you about it. Mind you, I'm only asking because he's my patient so often. I wouldn't want to have him catching me on fire the next time he's in pain."

"Ah, yes, I haven't figured out what the problem is yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out in case it will interfere with your ability to heal him in the future. Do tell me when you're running low on any of your potions. I need to get back to my quarters and do some research on Potter's problem."

"I won't keep you." Madam Pomfrey opened the first box and began filling the shelves in her storage room with the potions.

Severus returned to his quarters, retrieved the letter he had received that morning from inside his robes, and sat down in his armchair, calling for a house elf to bring him some tea. He opened the letter as his cup of tea was handed to him.

_Severus,_

_I hope our t__ânăr __balaurul__ hasn't caused harm to anyone else in the time it  
has taken me to receive and respond to your letter. As for your question on  
Dragon courting rituals, Dragons do have a very particular way of winning  
over a mate. The rituals are different for every breed of Dragon, which cause  
quite a bit of distress here at the Sanctuary, as you can imagine. From what  
you have told me, I am fairly certain our t__ânăr __balaurul__ is not performing  
these rituals with my sister, as one of the recognized signs of a Dragon  
attempting to court another is a refusal to perform acts of violence against the  
Dragon they are courting, no matter the breed of the Dragons. That does mean  
that they don't breathe fire directly upon one another, even though Dragon  
scales are resistant to fire, and the same basic principle applies to the use of  
their talons. I will give you some information on the courting rituals of  
Hungarian Horntails since I'm sure you will find it helpful if they ever manifest  
themselves in our t__ânăr balaurul.  
_

_Hungarian Horntails are extremely large Dragons, as I'm sure you know.  
Therefore, at some point in the courting, the male looks for the largest cave  
he can find for them both to live in. This is one of the most important rituals,  
as the female judges it as a sign of commitment to their relationship, as well  
as a future with a family. If she doesn't believe it to be a large enough cave,  
she leaves him. You see, Dragons are highly endangered, and they're at risk  
of becoming extinct. Because of this, the need to survive and reproduce has  
__become rather prominent in Dragons in the past few centuries._  


_Hungarian Horntails are also a more violent breed of Dragons than the others,  
and as such, the males will usually defend their female partner against another  
Dragon at least once during the courting phase. It is vital that they win any  
fights they may have with other Dragons since their female partner wants to  
know that he will be able to protect her and their future children should she  
be unable to protect them herself._

_Most breeds of Dragons present the Dragon they are courting with presents  
throughout the period of time when they are courting. Both genders see it as  
a sign of the couple's developing love for one another. It lets them know that  
they are important to their partner._

_For the most part, Dragon courting rituals aren't very different to the dating  
that goes on in our world, whether it is between magical people or Muggles.  
There is never any violence between the two partners, though, and their need  
to survive and reproduce is much stronger than ours. They'll take any breed  
of Dragon as their partner as a result, which is why there are so few purebred  
Dragons nowadays. A good parallel of this between their world and ours is  
the pureblood hierarchy. We've been marrying Muggles for decades, if not  
centuries, and as a result there are very few families that are entirely  
pureblooded._

_I hope this information is of some help to you either now or in the future.  
Let me know about what is going on as new developments come about._

_-Charlie_

Severus took a long sip of his tea and slouched back in his armchair. Charlie didn't think the growing of the talons and the breathing of fire were Dragon courting rituals, but what else could be going on with the boys? Knowing what could occur when Harry began seriously 'courting' someone might help later, but he needed to figure out what was wrong with both of the boys now. They were both prominent enough figures that if something happened and word leaked out that they had inhuman blood in their veins, the results would be disastrous for anyone involved. People could certainly be sent to Azkaban in Draco's case, as his life hadn't immediately been in danger.

Glancing at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace, Severus realized his first class of the day would be starting soon. The problem would have to wait until later in the day seeing as first-years required more of his rapt attention than the other years, with the exception of Longbottom perhaps.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note:

I'm not so sure about giving out a warning, but that's pretty much the only thing I have to say up here.

**WARNING:** If you _aren't_ okay with the_ idea_ of two boys being together in a relationship, as I'm debating having a slash pairing in this story (not necessarily between Harry and Draco), I suggest you stop reading and assume that Charlie is incorrect; Harry and Draco are just experiencing Dragon courtship displays that will stop after about a year and the books will continue as normal after that. If you _are_ okay with the_ idea_ of two boys being together in a relationship, please continue reading.

* * *

Chapter 20

*Late January 1996*

To put it gently, Severus Snape was not in a good mood.

A Slytherin had come knocking on the door of his quarters about an hour ago because the Slytherin Common Room had nearly caught on fire. The Slytherin Head of House had brought Draco back to his quarters to explain what happened since he seemed to have the most level head of the students, meaning he wasn't screaming or running around. In fact, he seemed to be frozen to the floor beneath him.

Apparently Pansy had gotten impatient because Draco never went any further than holding hands with her, and she had kissed him.

Much like what had happened to Harry, Draco's throat began to heat up, even though he had pulled away from Pansy as soon as he could possibly get away from the witch. A tapestry on one of the walls was the recipient of the flames that erupted from Draco's mouth, and everyone in the common room stared as a piece of the burning tapestry broke off and landed on one of the rugs in the room. Draco had casted an Aguamenti on it and put the flames out, but the charred tapestry and rug showed the students that they hadn't imagined what they had just seen.

"Uncle Severus, haven't you figured out what's wrong with me yet?"

Severus shook his head as he sipped his tea. "No, I'm afraid not, Draco. I've read every book in the library that I thought might be able to provide somewhat of an answer; I've contacted a Dragon keeper, but I haven't told him that you have Dragon blood in you; and I've thought about your problem during every spare moment I've had since you told me about it back in November. I've only been able to decide the blood we used in your potions was probably from an Antipodean Opaleye, and what's happening to you probably isn't a result of Dragon courting rituals."

"You're just now figuring out what Dragon the blood you used in my potions was from? Isn't that something you should have checked up on before you fed it to me?"

"Draco, if you've ever tried to buy Dragon blood, they don't take note of the type of Dragon the blood was taken from. In most recipes, the type of blood doesn't matter, so we never thought to ask."

"The person you bought it from could hardly remember now, could he? How'd you find that out?"

Severus took a long sip of his tea. "When your hand grew talons, the skin was white. All Dragons have a different coloring to them. The scales of the Antipodean Opaleye happen to be of a pearly appearance."

"How do you know that what's happening to me isn't a… how did you phrase it?"

"A Dragon courting ritual?" Draco nodded. "When Dragons are courting one another, they're never violent towards each other. You could have sliced right through her hand with your talons, and you easily could have burned her skin off earlier this evening. Those are direct acts of violence amongst Dragons, Draco."

Draco took a last sip of his tea and stood up. "If you don't mind, I'd like to leave and think about what you've just told me."

Severus stood and hugged his godson goodbye. "I'm still trying; I'll let you know if I find out anything more substantial than what I know now." Draco nodded and left the room.

* * *

The next morning, Severus was putting apricot jam on his toast when an owl landed before him. This was peculiar; he wasn't expecting anyone to write to him. Severus gave the bird a strip of bacon and untied the letter, hiding it in his robes to be read later without any prying eyes around.

The first two classes of the day passed slowly, and Severus decided that he would take lunch in his quarters. Let the school wonder what he was doing; he didn't care. If anyone asked he would claim he had an overwhelming number of essays to grade. They'd believe him if they'd heard how he'd spent his evening the night before.

After calling a house elf to bring him a sandwich and a bowl of soup, Severus pulled the letter out of his robes and opened it.

_Severus,_

_I've been thinking about our __tânăr balaurul and his predicament since I  
_received your owl a few weeks ago, and I think I've figured out the problem.  


_I told you that the survival of the species has become extremely important  
to Dragons in the past few centuries. Assuming that he would marry my  
sister and have children with her, they wouldn't carry on the Dragon genes  
in our tânăr balaurul, or at least that's how I understand it. I fear this may  
be the reason why he is being so hostile to her, with his talons and fire. _

_Could the Dragon blood within our tânăr balaurul have some subconscious  
control over his actions? I'm sure you would have a better understanding  
of what happened to him internally than I do. It may be rejecting my sister's  
touch since she is completely human and the Dragon genes wouldn't continue._

_I hope my suspicions aren't correct as it's highly doubtful that an actual  
Dragon would accept our tânăr balaurul as her mate, but keep me updated  
with the latest information._

_-Charlie_

Well, Severus certainly hadn't expected the letter to be from Charlie, much less about the predicament he hadn't figured out yet. What the Dragon keeper had written made sense, though.

The house elf returned to Severus' quarters with a Pop! and left a plate with a ham sandwich and a bowl of French onion soup. Severus began eating as he thought about the possible solutions for Draco and Harry. Charlie could be wrong, of course, but he would do some experiments on the potion when he had time, and hopefully that would give him some answers, whether they proved Charlie's idea wrong or right. Hopefully Charlie was wrong; the boys would probably be destroyed if they had to court a Dragon.

* * *

*February 2, 1996*

Classes had ended about an hour ago, and Severus was in his potions lab conducting one last experiment. He'd figured out already that what Charlie had said was true. The Dragon blood had combined so completely with the human blood that they were equally dominant, and the wishes of both would have to be taken into account. Of course that meant that Draco couldn't really be expected to marry Pansy, and Harry would probably put up a fight when he told the boy that Ginny would no longer be a suitable option for a girlfriend.

Severus hoped he had found a way around pairing both of the boys up with female Dragons, though, and this experiment would be the deciding factor. If he was wrong, though, he'd probably have to contact Charlie and get his advice. Charlie would probably have to help both of the boys from that point, as Severus himself knew quite a bit about Dragons from reading the books in the library but wouldn't be able to provide much help.

As Severus poured the last few drops from a potion into the liquid already boiling in the cauldron, he held his breath and waited in fear of what was to come. The smoke settled and Severus let out a sigh as he extinguished the flames beneath the cauldron. Which of the two boys would he break the news to first?


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note:

Anyway, a large part of this chapter had a very early draft of it written before the second chapter of this story was written. (The argument in that draft was a lot of fun to write.) I've completely rewritten this chapter, though, so there isn't as much of an argument, or at least not one that requires Calming Draught. Obviously I had a very strong idea of where I wanted a point in this story to end up. However, this is almost as far as I've gotten with my planning, aside from a few small ideas, as well as what the next chapter will focus on. Otherwise, I have no idea what's going to happen after this. I've always appreciated ideas that you all have given me while you've been trying to figure out what's going on with either of the boys, and I'd appreciate any ideas now more than ever. It can be about anything, not just Harry and Draco.

Since the Slytherin dormitories are never very well explored in the books, I don't know if the Slytherin students have their own rooms or not. Personally, I like to think that Salazar Slytherin would have designed them to be that way so his students would have more privacy when they're planning things, so in this story all of the Slytherin students have their own rooms.

Also, this story does have an M rating. This is the chapter that made it clear in my mind that this story couldn't have a rating under that. – If your mind just went to the gutter, please fish it out of there. There's something much deeper than a gutter in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 21

Severus entered the Slytherin common room, ignoring the glances from his Slytherin students. Draco was missing from the room, and Severus began walking up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Not wishing to startle the fifth-year if he was busy, Severus gently nudged the door labeled 'Draco Malfoy' open a crack and was met by a startling sight.

Draco was lying on his bed, a silver knife poised right above his throat, blood dripping from the knife and the wrist holding it. Both of Draco's wrists had been cut, and although Draco's skin was already pale, it was now nearly transparent.

Severus shouted "Expelliarmus!" before Draco could make a cut to his throat, the silver knife flying to the other side of the room. Draco turned, wide-eyed, and made a desperate dash for the knife once he saw his godfather standing in the doorway. A well-aimed Incarcerous stopped Draco, sending him crashing to the green rug on the floor of his dorm room.

Professor Snape closed the door, cast a charm for secrecy on the room, as well as a locking charm on the door, and opened the lowest drawer of Draco's ebony desk. He'd spent enough time in his godson's dorm room over the years to know that he always kept spare potions in there. Severus grabbed a Blood-Replenishing Potion and turned to his immobile godson.

"Draco, I'm not going to ask you about what you were doing until after I've healed you, but you'd better have a good reason for what you were trying to do." Severus took out his wand and knelt beside Draco, the boy attempting to squirm away from him. Severus held his wand beside each cut on Draco's wrists, whispering "Vulnera Sanentur" each time; a Tergeo cleaned up the dried blood in the room. Once the cuts were healed, he poured the Blood-Replenishing Potion into Draco's mouth, closing it as he pinched the boy's nose, forcing him to swallow the liquid.

Severus lifted Draco onto the bed and picked up the knife from the other side of the room, sliding it into his robes so Draco wouldn't be able to use it again. He summoned a chair and sat beside Draco's bed, staring at him for a few long minutes while he let everything he had just seen sink into his mind.

"Draco, please explain yourself and your actions." Staring at the ceiling, Draco simply shut his mouth. "I won't let your parents know about anything we say right now. I've never told anyone anything you've said to me in confidence, and that won't change now." Draco remained silent. "That's fine. You can stay silent as long as you wish, but I'm staying here with you so you won't harm yourself again."

Ten minutes later, Draco's eyes glanced to the man sitting beside him. "You won't tell anyone?"

"What you say to me stays between the two of us. I am your godfather, and I care about you a great deal. I only ask for honesty from you, Draco. Take your time."

A few moments afterwards, Draco swallowed quietly before opening his mouth again. "Please untie me."

"Where's your wand?"

"Why? What do you want with my wand?"

"I simply want to have it in my possession so that you can't use it against me or against yourself. I'll untie you as soon as I have it."

Draco sighed. "It doesn't matter who has my wand; it won't work. I snapped it in half."

"Why would you do that?"

"I was afraid that if it was around and in working condition, I would try to use it in a desperate attempt to save myself once I'd lost too much blood to think straight."

"Draco, sometimes I really wish you weren't in Slytherin. Where is it now?"

"It's in the top drawer of my desk."

Severus crossed the room, opened the desk drawer, and pulled out the two broken pieces of Draco's wand. Glancing at the white eagle sitting on a perch by the window beside the ceiling in Draco's room, Severus grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from Draco's desk, writing a quick note. He picked up a piece of ribbon from the desk and tied both the wand halves and the letter to the foot of the eagle. Severus opened the window and the eagle soared out of the room, flying steadily towards London.

"Now that your wand has been taken care of, I'll release you as long as you'll explain why you were slicing your veins open." Draco solemnly nodded as the ropes disappeared from his body and he sat up, rubbing his wrists.

"You won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you? Or about what I was just doing?" Severus nodded. "I mean anyone; you can't tell my mother, you can't tell my father, you can't even tell the Dark Lord."

"I would never tell them, especially the Dark Lord; he would just find a way to use it against you."

Draco nodded, seeming to be in thought, and then he crossed the room to a hidden compartment under his desk, where he pulled out a letter written on formal parchment. He handed it to Severus and sat once more on his bed.

Severus carefully opened the letter, glancing between the paper and Draco. What harm could a letter do to the boy? Unless it was cursed, all that could be used against him were words, and surely Draco was intelligent enough to realize that words couldn't hurt him. Of course, these thoughts fled from Severus' mind when he recognized the handwriting.

_Draco,_

_As you are aware that someone near and dear to us returned to Britain  
this summer, I will not go into the details you no doubt have heard of by  
now. He is still rather weak, and he would like to meet with you over the  
summer holidays. He needs all of the support he can get during this hard  
time, and I told him that you would no doubt join him as he requests. After  
all, we do owe so much to him already, and he will continue to aid us in  
our goals in the future. _

_Due to this new development, the Parkinsons are meeting with me daily as  
we are reviewing the betrothal contract between you and Miss Parkinson  
in the hopes of having your wedding within the month after you graduate  
from Hogwarts. I am sure our dear friend would like to see the two of you  
wed, as well as any of my grandchildren the two of you will produce. It  
would be such a shame if we couldn't allow him to see these delights in life,  
wouldn't it?_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Careful to keep all emotion from his face and his voice, Severus regarded his godson for a moment. "Draco, please explain to me what your thoughts are on these matters."

Draco spoke slowly, seeming to chose his words with the utmost care. "Well, I believe I've already expressed my opinion on my betrothal to Pansy to you."

"That you don't want to marry her but you can't find a reasonable way out of the contract?" Draco nodded. "And I'm sure you are opposed to them pushing the date of the wedding forward, as well as their hopes that you will produce an heir quickly."

"Yes, I know that Malfoys and other pureblooded families haven't married for love in at least a century, but I can't help but hope that somehow I'll be able to marry someone who actually means more to me than politics, money, and social status. Of course that won't happen, but I can't stand Pansy. Every time I spend time with her in the hopes of finding out something remotely pleasant about her, I just find her even more repulsive."

"And what are your thoughts on the first matter in your father's letter?" Draco fidgeted for a moment, tracing the light's reflection on his robes. "Draco, what you tell me will stay between the two of us. You can talk to me about anything."

Draco looked at the corner of his bed, away from Severus, as he murmured his response.

"What was that?"

"I… I don't want to serve him. He's cruel and vindictive. If he wins this war, the pain will never stop. His followers think that they'll gain power and luxurious lives, but the Dark Lord will keep using them for his own purposes and to keep order until they die. He's the type of man who wouldn't put his trust in anyone. How do we know that as soon as we've lived up to his expectations and tasks for us that he won't just cast us aside or kill us for his pleasure? If the other side wins, we'll be left to live our lives the way we wish, not under the tyranny of a madman."

Severus enveloped his godson in a hug, realizing that it may have been the wrong thing to do only when Draco tried to shy away from him. "You have no idea how proud of you I am right now, Draco."

"Proud of me? Why would you be proud of me? I just told you I practically hate the man that you call your master. Shouldn't you be running off to tell him this? Wouldn't he kill me or use me as a prisoner to torture at his will?"

"I told you that I wouldn't tell anyone about anything you tell me in confidentiality. Besides, if I ran off and told the Dark Lord about what you've just said I wouldn't be doing a very good job as your godfather. Believe it or not, Draco, but I do care about you. I'm a spy; I only pretend to serve the Dark Lord. I don't want you to serve him, either."

Draco looked up at the man who still had his arms around him. "Really?"

"Really. Now why were you trying to slice your veins open when you could have just come to my office and talked to me about your problems?"

"I thought it was the best option I had, and I still think that. If I die right now I won't have to marry Pansy and be miserable for the rest of my life. I also won't have to serve the Dark Lord, be treated like a puppet at his mercy, and hurt the state of our world any further. I don't see a way that I could possibly be happy in the future, and I don't want to keep living if I'll only be miserable."

Severus sighed and nodded in understanding. "Draco, I actually came here to tell you something. If you have a copy of the betrothal contract with you, I'll gladly take a look at it when I get the time to see if I can do anything to help you. From what you've told me about the contract, I don't think you could carry out the requirements on your end anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe I've finally figured out why your fingers become talons when you hold hands with her and why you started breathing fire when she kissed you."

Draco sat up straighter and looked at his godfather expectantly. "Well, what is it?"

"Come with me to my office; I'll be able to explain it better there. We'll look at that betrothal contract as well if you have one with you."

Draco stood up and walked to the secret compartment in his desk again, pulling out a rolled up piece of official parchment. "Let's go."


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note:

If what Draco did last chapter annoyed you, I'd just like to point out that I think it would be in his character as a Slytherin to look out for his best interests. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to live the life he wanted to live, and he knew he definitely didn't want to be under the mercy of the madman named Voldemort. Draco wouldn't want to keep living life if he never saw anything in his future worth being miserable for.

This isn't the longest chapter, but I think it's good for the character and plot development, so I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 22

Sitting on the leather furniture in Severus' common room, Draco looked warily at the letters sitting on the coffee table while his godfather read through the betrothal contract. These letters held information, something Draco normally held in high regard, but this information could easily transform the way he would live the rest of his life. It was in his human nature to be wary and even a bit scared of the unknown; he wasn't a bloody Gryffindor after all.

Draco glanced at his godfather and hesitantly picked up the first letter, unfolding it with closed eyes. This was it. Severus had said the letters would explain most of what was going on, but Draco wasn't sure he wanted to know. This could only lead to more problems in his life, as if he didn't have enough already.

Draco read both of the letters, careful to keep the emotions from his face while he tried to sort out his thoughts. He wouldn't speak until Snape was finished reading the contract, if only because he might say something revealing or insulting. Offending the person who was trying to help him would not be a good move on his part.

Eventually Severus put down the marriage contract and looked up at Draco. "Do you have any questions?

"Yes, actually, I do. Who is Charlie? Why does he know so much about Dragons?"

Severus sighed. "Please wait until I've explained. Charlie Weasley is a Dragon keeper at a sanctuary in Romania. I realize there is bad blood between your families, but he knows nothing about your situation. These are letters he wrote to me about someone else, but aside from the information specifically regarding Hungarian Horntails, it applies to you as well."

"What does tânăr balaurul mean? Can't you tell me who the letters are about?"

"It actually means 'young Dragon'. I'll get to who the letters are written about later, but I have some other things to explain to you first. We can get you out of the marriage contract, but we need to find a proper way to do it so they won't find out about your Dragon blood. They could make the connection and use it, whether to tell the Dark Lord to use you as a weapon or to hold it over you and your family's heads to threaten your social standing and your freedom from Azkaban."

"But I should be able to get out of the marriage contract somehow?"

Severus nodded. "I believe so, as you'll be unable to fully marry her or produce an heir, by my calculations. Either of those conditions would get you out of the marriage contract."

"Why? What would happen if I tried to do either of those?"

"Well, you read the letters. You'd most likely kill Pansy long before you were able to get anywhere near that. I'm fairly certain that wouldn't allow you to continue with the marriage contract."

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "I won't have to marry her?" Severus shook his head. "Thank Merlin."

"However…"

"I can hear the tone in your voice, Severus. What's the bad news?"

"Charlie is indeed right in thinking that you cannot be with another human who doesn't have Dragon blood in them, and I'm not about to break a law for your love life."

"I'll be forever alone, like you?"

Severus scoffed. "No, not like me. The love of my life died in the First Wizarding War, not that I would have ever been with her anyway; I made a major mistake and I've regretted it ever since. I was about to start looking again when you and Potter became first-years, and I believe you know just how hectic this school has been since then."

"Right, you could eventually have hope. I still fail to see why you won't let me kill myself. I mean, if you look at it from a completely non-Slytherin perspective it's a completely selfless act."

"That's exactly the reason I can't and I won't allow it. It's not Slytherin enough. Your choices if you wish to have a family of your own are mating with a Dragon, which I wouldn't recommend, or you can try to mate with the other student at Hogwarts with Dragon blood. I'll have to warn you that it's a he, though. Is there a problem with that?"

Draco sighed, realizing just how grave his situation truly was. "No, I can't really afford to be picky if my other choice is a Dragon, and I have no wish to choose that. Who is it?"

"Harry Potter."

Draco stood and began pacing around the room. "Is that who the letters are written about?" Severus nodded. That would mean what was written in the letters would have to be true; the Weasleys would give anything to help Harry.

However, this information didn't please Draco. Harry had never liked him; he'd shunned his attempts at friendship. The two of them had been trading hexes since first year. How could Severus possibly think they could become anything other than rivals? "You do realize that he would never accept me as anything more than his enemy, don't you?"

"Draco, you seem to be forgetting that his only other option is a Dragon as well. Regardless, neither of you would be able to have a physical heir to your family name, but I'm sure both of you would prefer to be with someone human than alone or with a Dragon. I realize you have never gotten along, to put it lightly, but that will have to change. Besides, the Slytherin in you would do good to remember that Harry is The-Boy-Who-Lived. If he wishes to protect you from the Dark Lord, he will, preventing you from serving that madman."

Draco continued pacing for a few moments before sitting down again, a plan beginning to form in his head. "Are you suggesting I use Harry for his protection until the Dark Lord is defeated, and then I can leave him and live life however I'd like, provided I don't try to spend it with someone?"

Severus sighed, slowly shaking his head. "I'm simply suggesting whatever will keep you alive and happy. You're too smart to allow yourself death before you've had a chance to live, Draco. Besides, I need someone to keep me sane when I'm constantly confronted by the Dark Lord, Dumbledore, and the Gryffindors."

Draco nodded slowly, thinking carefully. "Have you told Harry yet about his options? Have you told him about me?"

"No, I only just realized that both of you had a choice other than mating with a Dragon. You're my godson, and it's a good thing I came to tell you first. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to speak to you right now. I do need to speak to Harry, though. Do I have your permission to tell him that you are willing to speak to him, perhaps in the neutral ground of my quarters?"

"Yes, I believe that would be the best course to take with this. As for my problem with Pansy, you will tell my parents so that they can take the appropriate actions in the negotiations of the marriage contract, correct?"

Severus nodded. "I'll owl them once you leave. As for Harry, I plan to tell him sometime tomorrow. I'll let you know if he wishes to speak to you after he's come to a decision."

Draco stood, as did Severus, and they exchanged a handshake before Draco bid his godfather a good night and left. Severus sighed as the door closed, knowing that the letter he had to send to Lucius would not be an easy one to write.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note:

I'd just like to take a moment to tell each and every one of you thank you for reading this story. Since you've been following it this far, I can only assume that you're enjoying it, but feel free to tell me anyway. I realize it's starting to become repetitive, but considering that people are finding out information at different times, I haven't found a way around it. It should stop within the next few chapters, which is why I'm trying to get them written and posted as soon as possible.

This chapter is dedicated to mizzrazz72, who had me fangirling over something in this story that I hadn't realized yet. By the way mizzrazz72, what you told me isn't going to change any time soon. In fact, I just found out a way to make it even worse.

* * *

Chapter 23

Harry woke up smiling. Surprisingly, he hadn't had any nightmares or visions last night, and he suspected that had something to do with his date with Ginny the night before. He'd grabbed some food from the kitchens and skipped dinner with her, preferring to eat by the lake and watch the giant squid occasionally raise a tentacle while everyone else was preoccupied. They'd played Quidditch afterwards, flying after the Snitch until they were in danger of falling off of their brooms in exhaustion. Overall, it had been a wonderful night, even if they hadn't held hands or kissed. Ginny had agreed with him that they should wait until Snape found a solution before they tried that again. Harry didn't think he'd be able to live with himself if he accidentally hurt her.

Snape.

Harry had Double Potions with the Slytherins first thing today, and hopefully Snape had found out something that would help cure the talons and fire breathing. Sighing, Harry left the comfort of his bed to take a shower before he faced the world that day.

Today the fifth-year Gryffindors and Slytherins were brewing Strengthening Solution. The instructions had been left on the board while Snape walked amongst the students. As Harry waited for the potion to change color, Professor Snape left a note on his desk before chastening Neville for his poor brewing procedure, emptying the cauldron before it could blow up.

_Mister Potter,_

_Meet me in my office at the end of class.  
There are some matters we need to discuss._

_-Professor Snape_

"What does Snape want?" asked Ron.

Harry hastily shoved the note into his robes and turned back to their cauldron. "I don't know; he didn't say. Go ahead to lunch with 'Mione without me, okay?"

"Well, if you're sure you'll be fine if you're left alone with him."

"Ron, we're in Hogwarts. There's not a lot he can do to me while I'm still here. Tell McGonagall if I'm not in Transfiguration by the time class starts." Ron nodded and returned to slicing the griffin claws they needed for the potion.

Half an hour later, Ron and Harry turned in a potion that was slightly darker than it should have been, but hopefully it would at least be acceptable. As the class filed out, Harry took his time putting his supplies away in his bag. The Golden Trio was the last to leave, Hermione looking worriedly at him over her shoulder as she and Ron left Harry outside a door on their way to the Great Hall.

Taking a deep breath, Harry entered the room beside the Potions classroom that served as Professor Snape's office. He awkwardly stood in the office while Professor Snape secured his classroom. "Come, Mr. Potter, we have much to discuss, and I'd prefer to speak in the privacy of my quarters if you don't mind. A house elf will bring us lunch." Professor Snape retreated from the doorway, his robes billowing behind him as he led Harry down the hallway.

Professor Snape stopped in front of a painting of a blue-eyed wizard with long brown hair streaked with grey who was wearing deep green robes. "Ah, Severus, it is so nice to see you in one piece. Tell me, how is your latest project coming along?"

"I have determined that the ingredient I was missing was basilisk fangs. Once I add those to the potion, it should be able to properly reduce the vampires' thirst for human blood."

"I wish you the best of luck." The portrait opened to allow Professor Snape and Harry access to the quarters, shutting behind them.

"Squippy!" A house elf appeared with a Pop! "Please bring lunch for me and Harry Potter as we won't be able to make it to the Great Hall." The house elf nodded and disappeared with a Pop!

"Have a seat, Harry. Both of us have classes after lunch, so we don't have any time to waste." Harry set his bag down beside an armchair and hesitantly sat down as Professor Snape took two pieces of parchment from his desk.

The house elf returned with a platter of fried chicken; a few sides, apples included; and a bowl of pudding, along with two plates and glasses of pumpkin juice. "Thank you, Squiggy. That will be all." The house elf nodded and disappeared again with a Pop!

"Start eating, Mr. Potter. I'll be there in a moment." Professor Snape crossed the room to a small window at the top of a wall and opened it to allow an Eagle Owl inside. He took the parchment from the bird, peeled off the seal, and read it. Harry finished putting food on his plate as Snape returned to his desk and paused for a few moments before writing a response, giving it to the bird who promptly flew out the window. Professor Snape picked up the two pieces of parchment he had originally taken from his desk and sat in the armchair across from Harry.

"I apologize for that interruption, but there are certain people in this world whose letters cannot simply be ignored." Snape grabbed a plate and began to put food on it as he spoke. "I wrote to Charlie Weasley about your problems, and with the information he provided to me, I have determined the cause of it."

Harry set down his apple and looked up expectantly.

"The Dragon blood blended so entirely that its wishes hold equal power to our own. Dragons have an increased need to survive and reproduce, and it has recognized that Miss Weasley does not have the blood needed to continue the survival of the species."

"With all due respect, Professor, are you sure that's what is happening? The cause can't be Ginny; otherwise I would react the same to any other girl."

"Actually, Harry, I believe that would be the reaction to anyone you would touch with romantic intentions. Clearly, Miss Granger has not been on the receiving end of your physical manifestations of the Dragon."

"So you're saying that I have to remain single for my entire life, like you?" Professor Snape glared at the fifth-year. "No offense was intended, Professor, but isn't there some other option?"

"Charlie believes that you could only mate with a Dragon." Snape handed the two pieces of parchment to Harry. "Those are the two letters he wrote me, if you'd like to read them. However, I did a bit of research, and I believe that there is another student in the castle who you could carry these romantic intentions towards without any adverse side effects. However, I must tell you that this student is male. We can eat while you think about what I've just told you and you read the two letters."

Professor Snape's quarters were relatively quiet as the two men ate their lunch and Harry thought and read. He would have to break it off with Ginny as soon as possible since he didn't want to end up seriously hurting her later. Did he really want to talk to this other person, though? Harry didn't mind that it was a boy; his relatives' firm stance against homosexuals had never influenced him. He just didn't want anyone to get hurt because of their association with him. Harry had been okay with dating Ginny since she was in harm's way already, but he would have to debate the possible repercussions now that Voldemort was back. If this was his only chance to be with someone for the rest of his life, couldn't it wait until after Voldemort had been defeated?

"May I ask who this other student is?"

"My godson, Draco Malfoy."

Draco? Draco Malfoy? He was the only student in the school that Harry wouldn't hurt by dating him? Harry had to hold in a laugh at the thought. He and Draco _only_ hurt each other, yet Snape thought this was the only way he wouldn't hurt someone?

"I mean no disrespect, Professor, but surely you can't be so blind as to have never seen the two of us fight, can you?"

"Mr. Potter, I am quite aware that you and Mr. Malfoy have never exactly… gotten along, but he does in fact have Dragon blood in him. The two of you would not react negatively to one another, at least in this matter."

At least Harry wouldn't be dragging Draco into the war, but wasn't he aligned with Voldemort? On those lines, wasn't Snape aligned with Voldemort as well? Harry would have to tread carefully if he didn't want to end up in Voldemort's hands before he was able to defeat him.

Harry stood. "Tell Draco that we shall see what happens after the war ends, and if he hasn't done anything criminal in nature, I would be agreeable to talking to him to see if anything would work between the two of us." He picked up his bag. "Thank you for telling me, and thank you for lunch."


End file.
